In The Heart of A Monster
by DamonsDarkLove
Summary: For over a century he has waited for her.  Now that he has finally found her, will she be the one to save him or be his final destruction? Set beginning of Season 3, heavy Kelena, minor Delena.  LEMONS!
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One: Original Sin**_

_ Elena felt the cool earth sink beneath her feet as she treaded slowly down the long smooth path. She didn't remember exactly how she had gotten into the forest tonight, but she knew she was there for a reason and that she must keep moving. The night air was crisp and the enchanting sounds of the midnight's creatures made her senses hum to life. Step by step, she made her way through the forest. She had never realized how beautiful Mystic Falls was until she saw it tonight. The stars had painted beautiful pictures in the night sky and the gentle breeze seemed to wrap around her body and caress her gently._

_ "Elena…come to me my love." She heard a voice call in the distance. The beautiful voice that called to her was familiar, but somehow she couldn't quite place its owner. The angelic voice was smooth and flowed over her skin like a summer rain shower. It claimed her senses and filled her with a sudden need to be near it._

_ "Elena, come on my love…hurry now…we haven't much time." The voice soothed her along. Elena obeyed and quickened her pace. With every step she took she moved just a little faster until she found herself sprinting across the forest. The need within her grew stronger and soon her legs burned in pain and her breath escaped her in ragged pants. She could hear the soft laughter of the voice in the background of her mind and tried to follow in the direction it came from. Then suddenly the night sky went black._

_ "Hello? Is anybody there?" Elena called into the darkness. A low laughter echoed through the forest and suddenly the faint glow of the moon peaked through the trees and cast a beautiful light onto the darkened forest. Elena looked out into the distance and then she saw him._

_ "Hello Elena." The man said to her, his voice soothing and eerily calm. Elena gasped and took a few steps backward. She didn't get far before she felt her back hit what felt like hard stone._

_ "I see you've missed us, Elena." Another voice said from behind her. Elena quickly turned and found herself staring into Stefan's cold black eyes._

_ "Stefan…" Was all she managed to say as she felt fear take hold of her. The voice from in front of her laughed quietly once again._

_ "Oh, my little doppelganger…such a mess you have gotten yourself into this time." He said sweetly. Elena stepped forward trying to gather her courage._

_ "I haven't done anything to you Klaus. All I want is Stefan back. Please, just let him come home." She begged looking into his pale ocean blue eyes. Klaus stepped closer to her._

_ "And what if he doesn't want to come home Elena? Maybe Stefan is enjoying this new found freedom of his. You have no idea how liberating it can be to fulfill every aching hunger you have can really be." He said with an evil grin._

_ "Stefan, please listen to me. Come home. We can help you." Elena begged as she looked into his eyes, searching for any emotion still lingering in the darkness. Stefan laughed and moved slightly closer to her. As the light hit him, she noticed his dark blue T-shirt and black jeans were covered in wet patches of deep crimson blood. She looked away and tried to push the fear as deep within her as she could._

_ "We? By 'we' do you mean, you and my brother?" Stefan asked as he cocked his head to the side. He smiled darkly and then shrugged his shoulders._

"_I guess that's only to be expected that Damon is your newfound protector. If you can't have one Salvatore, you might as well have the other right? Or are you just desperately hoping that one day you can have us both? Maybe you could call Katherine, I'm sure she'd have some pointers for you." Stefan finished sarcastically as he glared at her. Elena kept her gaze on the ground._

_ "Stefan, you don't understand. It isn't like that. Damon is helping me. All we want is for you to come home." She pleaded as she lifted her head. Stefan smiled, but no emotion could be found behind his eyes._

_ "Well I'm sure that Damon is keeping you warm until I return." He said, stepping forward. Elena felt her stomach tighten and she quickly turned around and found herself face to face with Klaus. She looked into the deep blue of his eyes and felt the fear rise within her. The moonlight shone down from the sky and made his cropped blonde hair seem as if it were spun from pure gold. His skin was perfection and he looked as if he had been sculpted from porcelain. She swallowed and felt herself begin to shake._

_ "Do I frighten you, Elena?" Klaus asked darkly as he still moved closer to her. Elena felt her heart begin to beat faster in her chest. She wanted to say 'no' and be strong, but she knew that he would see through her lies and tonight all she cared about was getting Stefan back. She swallowed her emotion and simply nodded. Klaus smiled gently and reached out and ran two of his fingers through her silky brown hair._

_ "If I frighten you, my little doppelganger, then why are you here?" He asked sweetly. Elena wanted to look away, but found herself frozen in place._

_ "I…I just want Stefan back." She said weakly. Klaus' smile faded slightly, but lingered just at the edges of his lips._

_ "Elena, why are you really here sweetheart?" He asked and Elena felt her head begin to spin. She breathed in deeply._

_ "Because you called me." She replied so softly that a human would not have been able to hear. Klaus stared into Elena's eyes and a serious look of question flooded his expression._

_ "Why do we fascinate you so?" He asked her in a whisper. Elena broke his stare and looked back down to the ground. She heard Stefan's footsteps moving closer behind her._

_ "What do you mean?" She asked. Klaus lifted Elena's chin slightly and looked into her eyes once again. He ran his fingers across her jawline and down the soft length of her neck. He smiled as he studied her._

_ "How is it that in a world filled with more than its share of idiotic human boys that would gladly lay themselves at your feet, have you found yourself tangled up with us soulless monsters?" He asked as his fingers continued tracing her features. Elena let out a ragged breath and tried to concentrate._

_ "I don't care what Stefan is. I…" She started, but words escaped her. What was she supposed to say? Did she say she loved him? Did she still love him? After everything that had happened, was that really why she was still chasing him?_

_ "I know, I know, my love. You love him. He is the other piece to you and completes your weak human soul. But truly Elena, what is it that draws you to us so? I understand that when you met Stefan you did not know what he was, but then Damon? Damon, you knew what he was all along and that only seemed to entice you more. The fact that he was a cold blooded killer never made you run from him, instead you put your life on the line for him time after time and now you barely sleep a night in your own home. You simply lay across the hall from him, night after night, as your beating heart tortures his every breath." He said, his words beginning to push deeper into Elena. It felt as if he was caressing the inside of her without even touching her skin. She couldn't tell if he was compelling her or if he was just honestly curious. _

_ "They didn't have a choice Klaus. Katherine made them what they are. I care about them because of who they are inside, not because of what she made them." She said still looking away from his eyes. She felt Klaus' hands slide up her neck and to her jaw. She slowly closed her eyes as he tilted her head back up so she could look at him. She heard him laugh very quietly and quickly opened her eyes._

_ "See, that is what I am talking about my sweet Elena. I understand your foolish human need to mend a broken soul, so I understand why you seem to care so much for my troubled Salvatore boys, I really do" He started, still caressing the soft, delicate skin of jaw._

"_But what has me very confused, Elena, is how you can stand before me and respond so completely to my touch, when you know deep down that I am responsible for the death of almost everyone you have lost." He said softly. Elena took a deep breath out and tried to shake herself out of the trance she had seemed to have fallen into, but all she could manage was to open her eyes._

_ "You scare me." She said softly. Klaus looked into her eyes and then slowly moved his head down so that his lips just hovered above the soft skin that protected her erratic pulse._

_ "Elena, please don't lie to me. I am the oldest vampire in this world. I have seen more life than you could ever imagine. You are silent, yet your body screams to me." His words hit softly against her skin and she felt him swallow hard and run his tongue over his lips._

_ "You are so filled with desire and unbridled need, I can taste it. Would I even have to compel you, or would you ask me for my touch?" He asked softly against her neck. She could feel the lust in his voice and felt dizzy as her legs began to weaken. She slowly turned and tried to move away from him, but only backed into Stefan's chest._

_ "Now, now, Klaus, don't you think you are a little too old for her?" A voice called from behind them all. Klaus slowly stepped back from Elena, shook his head, and began to laugh once again._

_ "Now why does this not surprise me? My my, Elena, what dirty mind you must be harboring in that pretty little head of yours." He said as he turned and watched as Damon approached them. Elena looked around. She didn't understand what was going on, or why her mind caused any of this, but she tried to put some distance between herself and Klaus and Stefan._

_ "Damon." She called, but she didn't know what to say. Damon walked towards them slowly. He was wearing dark black jeans and his white button down shirt made him look like an angel in the moonlight. His jet black hair was messy against his skin and he looked exhausted and thirsty._

_ "This is unlike you Klaus…hiding in the shadows like this. Where is the grand entrance we have all been dying for?" Damon asked with a smirk as he moved closer to them. Klaus smiled and then nodded as he looked at Stefan._

_ Stefan moved suddenly and in an instant, Elena felt the cold grasp of his hands as they wrapped tightly around her arms. Fear rocketed through her body as she tried helplessly to free herself from his hands._

_ "Let go of me Stefan. You don't have to do this." She said pleading with him. Stefan smiled and leaned down to her ear as he pressed himself against her. His cool breath sent shivers down her spine._

_ "Oh Elena, come on. Isn't this what you wanted?" He asked, tightening his grip._

_ "What are you talking about Stefan? I just want you to come home! I just want you back!" She screamed as tears began to well up in her eyes. Damon moved in a blur and was suddenly in front of her. He seemed to watch helplessly as his brother manhandled her, but he didn't move._

_ "It's going to be alright Elena. I would never let anyone hurt you, remember? I will never leave you." He said softly. Elena felt her heartbeat slow a little and she nodded, but Damon still stood motionless in front of her. He didn't try to pull her from his brother's grasp or bargain with Klaus for her life. He just stood in front of her and ran his hand down her face._

_ "You are so beautiful Elena." He said softly. Elena looked into the electric blue orbs that shone brightly in his eyes. _

_ "Please Damon help me." She begged. Damon smiled softly but his eyes were filled with pain._

_ Suddenly, Elena felt her body jolt. Stefan was knocked from behind her and she felt Klaus' cool grip on her skin. She shuddered as he pulled her against his body. He tilted her neck to the side and she felt his lips as they whispered across her skin._

_ "Someday, Elena, you will find someone that loves you enough to be strong enough not to share you." Klaus' voice was soft, but something about his tone, made Elena turn to look at him. His eyes were gentle, but filled with hunger. She couldn't remember a time where she had ever seen such emotion in him. He looked away from her, and as Elena turned back she noticed they were alone in the forest. She felt Klaus' grip loosen on her slightly, but she didn't try to run. Instead, she leaned back against his body and let his arms slide slowly around her body. He was much warmer than she had expected and his embraced calmed her. Elena felt Klaus' lips touch her skin and felt heat rush through her body. She heard a low moan in his throat as she closed her eyes. Elena let out a deep sigh and welcomed the sweet pain of Klaus' teeth as they slid slowly into her throat._

Elena's eyes flew open as she sat up suddenly in bed. She looked around her and found herself alone, in what used to be Stefan's bedroom. Her breaths were coming out in quick puffs and her body was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She raked her fingers through her damp hair and tried to regain her composure.

"It was just a dream." She told herself quietly as she let herself fall back onto the comfort of her pillows.

This was not the first time she had dreamt of Klaus and Stefan since the night that they had disappeared. Klaus and Stefan had vanished nearly a month ago and there wasn't a night that went by when her mind hadn't been haunted by their terrifying memory. Lately, however, Klaus had taken over the reins in her mind and every night her fear for him lessened more and more. She tried not to think too much about the dreams, but just chalked them up to the post-traumatic stress of losing someone that she had loved so deeply. She closed her eyes and tried to focus. She needed to get herself together so she could try to start living the life she had more recently put on hold. She took a deep breath and reached up to the place where she had felt the scrape of Klaus' teeth just moments before…nothing.

Elena quickly sat up. She ran her hands over the skin of her neck and chest…nothing. Her breathing got shorter and shallower as she looked around her and felt beneath her covers…nothing. She closed her eyes and felt fear wash over her…her necklace was gone.

**Please read and review, thanks in advance! -Nikki XOXOXO**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: Fatal Attraction**_

__"OK, so let's go over this one more time." Alaric started as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He had been sitting in the living room of the Boarding House for over an hour trying to comprehend exactly what was going on and Elena's…selective information was starting to wear on him.

"You said you had a nightmare and when you woke up, your necklace was gone?" He continued, looking over to the chair where Elena sat.

"Yes, I woke up and didn't feel right and when I reached down, it was gone." She said as she reached down and touched the skin of her throat where her necklace had once lain.

Elena heard a sarcastic laugh come from the other side of the room. She turned and saw Damon as he walked into the room. He had a smirk on his face and was shaking his head.

"Let's cut the crap Elena. Why don't you tell Ric exactly your dream was about." He said as he moved quickly toward the bar.

"I don't really remember." She said quietly. Damon's laugh boomed through the room as he poured himself a drink.

"Oh come on Elena. Now is not the time to be shy. Tell Ric about the dream…or I will." He said sharply as he looked up from his glass. Elena turned and looked at him in disbelief.

"What do you mean or you will? How do you know anything about what happened last night?" She asked half in defense and half in curiosity. Damon smiled and moved over to where she and Alaric sat.

"Elena, last night you didn't have a dream or nightmare or whatever you have been calling it. Instead we were both mind fucked by the amazing Klaus himself." He said condescendingly as he waved his hand in the air.

"You mean you had the same…" Elena stopped midway through her sentence. Suddenly it all made sense. She remembered the words that Klaus had spoken to her the night before.

_ "My my Elena, what a dirty mind you must be harboring up in that pretty little head of yours." _He had said when Damon had appeared. She swallowed hard, having a dream about Klaus was one thing, but now knowing that she had let not only him, but also Damon into her mind scared her.

"I thought it was just a dream." She said quietly. Damon laughed lightly and then sat in the chair across from her and met her gaze. The smiled faded from his lips as his eyes bore into her.

"Is that why you gave in to him Elena? You thought it was just a dream so no big deal, right? Or did you do it for some other reason Elena? Did you like the way his century old dead fingers felt on your skin? Please enlighten me Elena, because I would love to know the reason behind why you totally fucked everything up last night!" Damon yelled as he slammed his tumbler down on the end table. Elena sat back and suddenly felt herself begin to shake.

"Damon you are being ridiculous. I thought it was a dream." She said without meeting his eyes. Alaric looked between them as he tried to put together exactly what was going on. Finally, he let out a sigh as he stood.

"OK, well this whole secret dream thing is really fun, but does someone want to clue me in on what the hell is going on?" He asked suddenly realizing he needed a drink and making his way over to the bar. Damon leaned back in his chair and an evil grin spread across his face.

"Oh Elena, let me tell him please. Now, I cannot speak for whatever happened before I was roped into this sick puppet show. However, the parts I was so lucky to be a part of went somewhere along the lines of Elena allowing Klaus to compel her until she was a weak child in his creepy arms and then allowing him to sink his thousand year old fangs into her. Did I miss anything Elena?" Damon asked sarcastically. Elena looked at him and then looked down.

"He didn't compel me." She said in a small voice. Damon and Alaric both turned to look at her at the same time. Elena could feel their intense stares boring into her. She was too afraid to look up and meet their judgment.

"Excuse me?" Was all that Damon could manage to get out of his mouth as fire flamed through his mind.

"I mean, at least I don't think he compelled me. It all felt so real and I still remember everything so clearly." She said softly. Alaric ran his hands over his face.

"OK, so what I am getting here is that Klaus got into both your heads and thus stole Elena's necklace leaving her open to all the mind control one ancient vampire can enjoy. That about cover it?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Oh, but you left out the best part Ric. She let him fucking do it!" Damon yelled as he threw his glass into the fire. The sound of bursting glass exploded through the room and jolted Elena from her seat.

"Listen here Damon! I don't know where you get off acting all high and mighty because if I remember correctly you weren't exactly battling for the greater good either!" She screamed. Damon stood and walked back towards the bar.

"I don't know what you are talking about Elena." He said sharply as he went to find another glass.

"Oh, now you don't remember, Damon? Let me refresh your memory for you. Stefan was holding onto me so I couldn't move, planning to do God knows what and you just stood there! You just stood there Damon!" She screamed. Damon looked at her.

"Well Stefan was there too, wonderful. Sounds like a party. Seriously though, you two do realize you are arguing over a dream, right?" Alaric interrupted. Elena held her gaze on Damon and didn't budge.

"What did you want me to do Elena, one of us were under compulsion. That is the only way he could get to me. Some of us aren't as…easy." He said coldly as he took a long drink of bourbon. Elena narrowed her eyes.

"So you are angry with me because I am not stronger than the oldest vampire in the world? Well Damon, I have news for you, I'm eighteen and human. What's your excuse?" She asked in a huff as she glared across the room into him.

"Elena you gave yourself to him. You didn't even put up a fight. Now that he knows you are weak he is not going to stop. This is just the beginning for him. You just gave him a new game to play and Klaus doesn't stop until he wins…and he always wins Elena." Damon said in a hushed voice. Elena looked down.

"I just felt…" She trailed off. Telling Damon how she really felt would not exactly help the situation she was in. She knew he would forgive her for being weak, but he would never forgive her for being willing.

"OK, so what exactly does all this mean?" Alaric asked, obviously confused by the whole situation.

"It means that now Klaus knows that Elena is alive and he knows that she is weak. He now understands why his minions are all retarded and dying and such. And since he knows that, he is going to be coming for her and it is going to get really ugly, really fast." Damon said as he ran his hands over his mouth and then let out a sigh. Elena stood and paced nervously in front of the fire place.

"Then why didn't he just kill me last night then? Obviously he had the chance. Why is he dragging it out?" Elena asked. Damon shook his head and smiled.

"Because he wants you come to him Elena. He wants you to give yourself to him and then he can have the grand theatrical close to this whole production he's been planning his entire life." Damon said as he stood.

"Well then he is just going to have to keep waiting and keep planning, because I am not giving in to anyone, anytime soon." She said in a strong and confident voice as she moved closer to Damon. Damon looked sideways at her and raised one of his eyebrows.

"You sure about that, oh warrior princess?" He asked with a slight uncomfortable edge to his voice. Elena nodded and smiled, but deep down terror raged inside her.

The day seemed to have dragged on for an eternity, but finally Elena found her way back to Stefan's room. Everyone had agreed it would be best if she remained in the Boarding House until they knew exactly what Klaus was up to. God only knew where he was and what he was planning, but they did know that they needed to keep Elena safe and far from him.

Once Elena got through the doorway, she tightly closed the door behind her. She walked across the room and let herself fall back on the bed and feel the softness of the quilt against her skin. She breathed out and tried to relax.

"You sure you wanna go to sleep?" A voice said from her door, she could sense his smile without even opening her eyes.

"Listen Damon, I don't want to do this anymore tonight." She said in a defeated tone. Damon walked in and sat down at the edge of the bed.

"Look Elena I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was a dick this morning and I'm sorry that I didn't protect you last night. I guess somehow it didn't feel real to me either, and I don't know, I was wrong." He said quietly. Elena opened her eyes and slowly sat up and looked at him.

"I'm sorry too. I should've fought, I just…" She stopped and looked away.

"I don't know what I was thinking." She said quietly. Damon nodded.

"Elena, Klaus is very powerful and incredibly persuasive. Hell, the man has been alive for long enough; he definitely knows what to say by now. No one blames you for not fighting him. Katherine always said if you weren't afraid of him, then you were an idiot, and one thing can be said for Katherine, she is usually right." Damon said, Elena could tell he would have rather staked himself, than admitted that. He looked down and rubbed his hands on the fabric of his jeans.

"I guess it just scared me. I don't want you to give up, Elena." He said softly.

"Damon, I promise you, I will fight next time. I will be ready." Elena said as she reached over and touched Damon's hand. Damon squeezed her hand and looked up into her beautiful chocolate brown eyes. Elena felt the strong electric current that she always felt when she touched him begin to flow through her body. She wanted to touch him, she wanted to kiss him, but most of all she wanted to make him believe her.

"Elena I will never let anyone hurt you, you know that right?" Damon asked as he reached up and ran his fingers through her hair. Elena closed her eyes and took in the sensation of his touch.

"Yes I do Damon." She said quietly. He nodded and then reached into his pocket.

"I have something for you. I know this isn't quite as special as your necklace, but I think this is something that will help keep you protected." He said as he handed her a small velvet box. Elena turned the box over in her hands and then looked back at Damon.

"Thank you Damon, what is it?" She asked.

"Open it." He said quietly. Elena nodded and opened the small box.

"Oh my God Damon, it's…" Elena's eyes filled with tears as she stared into the small box.

"It's the bracelet that Stefan made for Jenna back when you all thought I was the greatest evil on the planet. Guess you were wrong huh?" He said softly but with a small laugh. The tears fell down Elena's cheeks.

"Damon, thank you. Where did you…." She started but her tears seemed to drown out her voice.

"It's the strangest thing. I was looking through some stuff today in the library and I found it in one of the desk drawers, I guess you have a guardian angel or something." He said with a smile. Elena smiled but then felt the feeling from her dream the night before fill her body.

Elena suddenly remembered the last time she saw the bracelet. Jenna had worn it every day from the moment that Elena had given it to her. It seemed to mean so much to her and Elena never saw her without it. The last time Elena had saw her wearing it had been the night of the Sacrifice. That was the night that Klaus had killed Jenna and left her lying on the ground amidst the fire. She remembered her friends rushing to her and dragging her from the woods before she could make it to Jenna's body. She remembered watching her body slip from her sight and the pain she felt. The only person that had been left in the woods that survived had been Klaus and the only one that would have taken the bracelet from Jenna. Elena felt her heart sink deep into her stomach.

"You OK?" Damon asked interrupting her thoughts. Elena smiled the best she could and just nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just tired. Do you mind if I just get some rest and we talk about all this in the morning?" She asked. Damon nodded and stood.

"Sure, call me if you need anything OK. I'm just down the hall." He said as he turned. Elena nodded.

"Thank you again Damon." She said. Damon turned.

"Keep it on though OK? If nothing else, do it for my sanity." He said with a smile. Elena nodded as she slipped the bracelet on and by the time she looked up, he was gone.

Elena stepped into the shower and slowly let the hot water fall over her tired flesh. With Damon in his room and Alaric back at her house, she finally felt like she had some time to breathe. She closed her eyes and visions of the night before flashed quickly through her mind. Everything had felt so real that she couldn't believe it had just been a dream. She reached her fingers up and touched the place on her throat she had felt Klaus' teeth pierce her skin. She closed her eyes and felt all the sensations return to her. She felt the sharp pain as his teeth sank into her skin, the deep pressure as they moved deeper into her and then the sweet mind swirling satisfaction of him drinking from her. She had received her fair share of vampire bites in the past year, more than she cared to remember. But, something was different about the way Klaus had fed on her. He seemed to feed with his entire body. He had wrapped himself completely around her and pulled her close to him so that every part of him seemed to become part of her. The way he drank from her hadn't seemed to be out of careless hunger or amusement, but out of undeniable need. She rubbed her fingertips across her throat and for a moment thought she felt the faint imprint of teeth on her skin. She breathed in deeply and let her fingers trail from her neck down the warm wet skin of her chest and stomach. She leaned her back against the wall of the shower, but just as her fingertips reached her soft wet core the lights went out.

Elena jumped and tried to steady herself against the shower wall. She blindly reached out into the darkness and shut off the water. She felt around for a towel and once she found one, she shakily wrapped it around her body. She could barely walk straight, but eventually found the door and opened it walking into Stefan's bedroom. She looked around and only saw darkness. She walked further into the bedroom and then in a flash, she saw a flame on top of a candle come to life. Elena's body began to shake as she looked around the bedroom.

"I know you're here." She said, her voice now shaking just as much as her body was. Elena reached around the bedside table and picked up a letter opener she had left there and held it close to her body. She heard a low laugh coming from behind her, but when she turned around no one was there.

"Please, tell me what you want." She begged into the darkness, but as soon as the words escaped her lips she felt someone grab her from behind. She felt a scream arise in her throat but it disappeared into the strong hand that now covered her mouth.

"You know what I want Elena." The voice said quietly into her ear. It was amazing how a voice so terrifying could sound so soothing to her.

"If you are going to kill me, why don't you do it and get it over with? Why do you need to torture me?" She asked, her voice once again sounding childlike in her ears. She felt the low rumble of his laughter in his chest once again.

"And why don't you listen to your little boyfriend? This hardly feels like you are fighting me Elena? Well, unless you count that letter opener in your hand, but I hardly understand what you think you are going to do with it sweetheart." He said softly. Elena closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Klaus please. Tell me what you want. I will do whatever you want if you will just let Stefan go." She begged. Klaus took one of his hands and ran it down Elena's arm. He folded his fingers around her hand and then removed the opener from her grasp and tossed it to the floor.

"What I want, my sweet Elena is to know what exactly you were doing in the shower?" He asked sweetly as he let his head dip to her shoulder. His breath tickled her skin and made all her senses burst to life.

"I was taking a shower." She said as coldly as she could. Klaus laughed and then ran his fingertips back up her arm. Elena leaned her head back and held in a silent moan. What was wrong with her? Why was she letting him do this?

"Elena, I could hear your heartbeat from outside the door. Your thoughts were so loud they practically screamed. I could hear you as you fantasized about what my teeth felt like on your skin." He said as he swallowed.

"I told you, you scare me." She repeated as if to convince them both.

"Elena, forgive me love, but you are a horrible liar." He said as he ran his fingers up her shoulder and over her collarbone. A small moan escaped Elena's lips and she felt Klaus freeze behind her. She closed her eyes and prayed that if he was going to kill her now, he would do it quickly.

She felt his fingers cross her collarbone and then move up the other side of her neck. Her skin burned so hot, it almost hurt when he touched her. Her heart pounded harder with every touch of his fingers and with every new trail he left across her skin, she felt her blood instantly rush to the source.

Once Klaus' fingertips had caressed slowly up the side of her neck and reached her jaw, he gently turned her face to his. She looked into his pale blue eyes and let out a ragged breath.

"Why does it feel like this when you touch me?" She asked quietly. Klaus stared into her eyes and then moved his fingers over her lips.

"Feel like what, love?" He asked tenderly. She had never seen him like this before and she found it purely intoxicating.

"It feels like no one else has ever touched me before and like I never want anyone else to again." She said in a whisper, not breaking her stare into his eyes.

It only took a moment and suddenly, Elena was across the room. She felt her back hit the wall hard and watched as picture frames fell and crashed around her. Within seconds she felt the crush of Klaus' body against hers and his eyes glaring deep into her. She tried to scream but he once again covered her mouth with one of his hands.

"Listen to me and listen to me now, my little doppelganger. You need to be smart and listen to your friends. I am not a vampire on the mend that you can take in and fix. I am an original. If it wasn't for me, those pathetic excuses for lovers that you call the Salvatore's wouldn't be here. Every vampire in this world knows of me and fears me, and if you were a smart girl you would too. I have killed more people than you will ever meet. I have tortured innocent people and watched them die. And so help me, I will be damned if you think that your foolish teenage charms are going to have any effect on my choice to end you. Because trust me Elena, I will end you." He said roughly as his body pushed her harder against the wall. Elena stared wide eyed at him and nodded in silence. Klaus stared at her for a moment and then pushed himself from the wall and turned away from her. She was left against the wall gasping for air. Once she had caught her breath and gained control of herself, she looked toward him once again.

"You said earlier you could hear my thoughts, is that true?" Elena asked suddenly, pushing herself away from the wall. Klaus didn't turn; he just slowly nodded his head.

"If you could read my thoughts, then you know why I said what I said. I wasn't trying to save my life, I was..." She stopped suddenly as Klaus turned towards her. Pain flooded his eyes and he gritted his teeth. Elena knew then, there was nothing more for her to say. Klaus knew all the reasons, but he didn't want to hear them. Elena wanted to go to him, but she knew she was already tempting fate, so she just looked down and remained silent. After a moment she looked back up and in a blur he was gone. Elena felt her body begin to shake once again so she pulled her towel tighter against her. She rubbed her hands down the chilled skin of her arms. When she reached her wrist she froze. She opened her eyes and looked down and there on her wrist was Jenna's bracelet.

**Please read and review, thanks in advance. –Nikki XOXOXO**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: This Beating Heart**_

Elena drove as fast as she could down the highway until she reached the turnoff to Bonnie's. She didn't know exactly how she was going to explain herself, but she needed Bonnie's help now more than ever.

Once she reached Bonnie's house, Elena jumped from her car and ran up the stairs, but stopped before she reached the door. She needed to calm herself down and she needed to focus on exactly what she was going to say in order to get Bonnie to help her. If she didn't word this right or if she faltered in anyway, her plan would blow up in her face, and she would lose her only chance to do this. Finally, after taking a deep breath and composing herself, she raised her hand and rang the doorbell.

After a couple of minutes, she heard footsteps and then the lock turned slowly before Bonnie appeared in the doorway. Bonnie smiled brightly as she jumped and threw her arms around Elena.

"Elena! God I am so glad to see you. Alaric called yesterday and told me what happened. Are you OK?" She asked, as she studied Elena's face. Elena nodded, but then looked down.

"Actually, that is why I am here. I wanted to talk to you about something, do you mind if I come in?" She asked as she looked back up and faked a smile. Bonnie nodded but her smile faded once she looked into Elena's troubled eyes. She could tell something was wrong and she was pretty sure Elena needed her help to fix it. She was very cautious, but nodded and then turned and led Elena into the house.

"OK, what's up?" Bonnie asked once they had reached her bedroom. She closed the door quietly behind them and then joined Elena on her bed. Elena took in a deep breath and then ran her fingers nervously through her hair.

"OK, so I am going to ask you something that you are not going to want to do, but please promise Bonnie that you will hear me out?" Elena said in a pleading tone as she searched Bonnie's eyes. Bonnie looked at her for a moment and then nodded.

"OK, go ahead." She said timidly. Elena took a deep breath and began the speech that she had been rehearsing all night.

"Well, as you heard from Alaric, the other night Klaus got into Damon and my heads and messed with us pretty badly." She started.

"Yeah, totally creepy by the way." Bonnie said with a smile. Elena nodded.

"Yeah, well ever since Klaus found out I was still alive, he has been paying me more and more visits. It doesn't seem to matter if I have Vervain, he still gets into my dreams and he will not stop." She went on. Bonnie looked at her and just nodded.

"Every night his visits get more and more strange and I can tell he is planning something, and I can feel it is something big." She said taking another deep breath.

"What?" Bonnie asked finally. Elena breathed out once again.

"Right now I'm not sure. The only way I can think of to figure out exactly what he is doing is to get in his head. When he comes to me, he is protected and shielded so I only see or hear what he wants me to. The only way for us to figure out what he is up to, is to beat him at his own game. We have to get into his mind and find out what he is planning before he does it. If we do that, maybe we could stop him." She finished quickly.

Elena looked across the bed at Bonnie. She was completely silent and stared directly into Elena's eyes. Elena could tell she was searching her. Searching for anything Elena may be hiding or any underlying reasons she wanted to do this, but finally Bonnie's eyes softened.

"Elena, first of all, this is crazy. Second of all, I don't think it's that easy to get into someone as strong as Klaus' head. He is an Original. It would take a very powerful spell, a lot of magic and you to be completely out of your mind." She said as she got up from the bed and started pacing around her room.

"Bonnie, listen to me. I can do this. Stefan is still under Klaus' compulsion, Damon wasn't strong enough to hold him off the other night and Klaus would kill you or Ric in an instant if you tried anything. I am the only one that he hasn't used his compulsion on and the only one he really needs to complete his plan. If I can get into his mind and figure out what he is planning I might be able to help us survive it and save Stefan too." She pleaded looking up at Bonnie.

"Please Bonnie, if you will just try. That is all I am asking." Elena begged once more.

Bonnie looked down at Elena. The desperation that filled her voice was nothing compared to what was written all over her face. She wanted to tell Elena it was too dangerous and that it would never work, but she knew if she didn't try then Elena would never forgive her and she couldn't bear to see her hurting as she had all summer. Finally, she sighed.

"If I help you Elena, will you at least promise me one thing?" She asked as she returned to the bed. Elena sat up straight with a smile and nodded.

"Anything." She chirped quickly. Bonnie's smile faded and concern poured from her eyes.

"If anything happens, you get out of there and you get out of there fast." She said sharply. Elena felt chills go up her spine. She and Bonnie both knew she was about to dredge into some dangerous territory, but she couldn't turn back now. She needed inside his head and she needed inside tonight.

Elena spent the rest of the day at the Boarding House pacing the floors. Bonnie had said she would call her as soon as she found something, but until then Elena was left to busy herself alone. Damon had left to go to a council meeting hours ago and Alaric was starting Happy Hour earlier every day. She never realized that a person could drink that much and still function so well, but who was she to judge, with the life he'd had so far, he had earned those drinks.

Elena's phone vibrated in her pocket pulling her back to reality. She reached down and removed her phone and saw Bonnie's phone number on the screen.

"Hey Bonnie, did you find anything?" Elena asked into the phone, trying to contain her nervousness. There was a pause on the line.

"Oh, I found something alright. Elena, are you still sure you want to do this?" Bonnie asked finally as fear filled her voice. Elena took a deep breath out.

"I'm sure Bonnie." She said confidently, even though inside she was consumed by fear.

Bonnie had said to meet her in the forest at midnight and Elena had no intention of being late. Damon had not yet returned when she left, so she had written him a note that said her and Bonnie had gone to a movie. She laid the note next to Damon's bourbon and quickly pulled on her jacket and sped off into the night.

By the time Elena reached the forest, there was barely enough moonlight to see two feet in front of her, let alone lead her down an uneven winding path through the large trees and dirt. She wandered for a little while, but finally saw a light in the clearing that led her to Bonnie.

Bonnie sat cross-legged in the grass with her Grimwoire lying in her lap. She had candles set out around her that formed a large circle. Most of the candles were tall and white, but it was the large black candles that made Elena feel sick.

"Hey, I was getting worried about you?" Bonnie said as she smiled seeing Elena approach.

"Sorry, just forgot the flash light." She said as she sat down next to Bonnie. Bonnie looked at her and her smile faded.

"Elena, are you still sure you want to do this, because there has to be another way to get you out of this mess with Klaus." Bonnie said her voice filled with concern. Elena smiled and reached out and grabbed Bonnie's hand.

"Bonnie, everything is going to be fine. This is the only way to beat Klaus at his own game. The element of surprise is really the only thing I have on my side. I have to use it, before it's too late." Elena pleaded with her. Bonnie looked at her and then nodded as she looked back down at the ground.

"OK Elena, please just be careful." Bonnie said softly. Elena nodded and let go of her hand.

"Alright Elena, I need you to lie down in the center of the circle. Then I need you to close your eyes." Bonnie said slowly as she motioned towards the circle and then picked up her Grimwoire. Elena nodded and did as Bonnie had said.

The next few moments seemed to happen in a blur. Elena felt her body mold to the soft earth of the forest and slowly closed her eyes. She heard Bonnie begin to speak in a language she didn't understand and soon her body felt numb, but yet burned with fire. She listened to Bonnie's words and felt as if she was slipping into a trance. She let herself slip endlessly into the night…and then there was nothing.

Elena opened her eyes and found she was alone in the woods, but nothing looked the same. Bonnie, the candles, and The Grimwoire were nowhere to be found. The soft grass had been replaced with a rough gravel path that seemed to wander endlessly into the night. Elena finally found her way to her feet and stood to look down the worn path. In the distance, she saw the faint orange glow of a fire and knew that was her only chance of finding what she had come looking for.

Elena walked for what felt like an eternity before she came to what looked like a small village. Small, ramshackle houses that were built almost on top of each other lined both sides of the road. Elena noticed strange writing covering the doors of the houses on the street before her but couldn't recognize what it said. Large wooden boards served to reinforce the locked doors and keep those inside protected from whatever it was they feared. When she came to the end of the road and saw a small house, with the door opened and not a written word to be found, she had a funny feeling she understood the idea behind those strange words.

After Elena made her way to the end of the road, she glanced inside the small house. Inside sat only a small table and few woven blankets that covered the cold dirt floor. She looked to the far corner of the room and saw the beautiful orange glow of a warm fire burning brightly. She looked closer and saw a man crouched in the corner next to the fire, but he did not move. Elena moved closer as if she was being pulled and the man slowly came more into focus.

The man watched the fire with such intensity; it was hard for Elena to look away. He had beautiful long blonde hair that draped in a golden sheet onto his broad shoulders. The outlines of his cheek bones were harsh and sharp under his skin as he clenched his jaw painfully tight. Perfect strands of hard muscle wound up his forearm and disappeared under his shirt just showing a hint of his strength. He hadn't spoken, but his presence was completely consuming.

"I have known a lot of women in my time, but you Elena, you have to be the bravest." The man said as he turned from the fire and faced her. Elena moved back slightly as she looked into Klaus' pale blue eyes. He looked so young and innocent, yet somehow, remained the same. His skin was still the same porcelain perfection and his hair still a beautifully spun gold. The only difference was the softness of his eyes, like he hadn't yet seen the harsh pain of the world.

"You have haunted my mind for the past month, why shouldn't I be able to do the same, just once?" She asked in a strong voice. She prayed he wouldn't see through her facade and into the weakness she was hiding.

"Because I am a very old hybrid that is trying to finish something I started a very long time ago Elena, what is your reasoning?" He asked, his voice sounded almost amused as he moved slowly toward her. Elena felt her stomach sink and her hands became slick with sweat.

"I am here to ask you for Stefan's freedom…and mine as well." She said as she tried to regain her composure. Klaus rubbed his hands together and then rested them at his lips.

"Do you know where we are, Elena?" He asked, ignoring her plea. Elena shook her head. Klaus smiled.

"We are in my home. This is where I was born and where Rebekah, Elijah, and I grew up. This is where my father found out that my mother had been unfaithful to him and that I was born of werewolf blood." He said slowly as he moved toward her. Elena swallowed roughly.

"My father hated me from the moment that I was born, and to this day, he still roams this world waiting for the day when he can drive a stake through my heart." He said coldly. Elena moved forward.

"Klaus…I" She started, but he raised his hand and she fell silent once again.

"Believe it or not Elena; I still remember what it was like to be alive." He said, finally reaching her. Elena backed up until she hit the hard stone of the wall behind her. Klaus did not touch her; he just leaned close to her as he continued to speak.

"I remember what it was like to have a family, to laugh, to truly care about someone other than myself." He said as he looked down. Elena looked at him. She had never seen such pain in anyone before. Sure, she had seen the pain and sorrow of what over one hundred and fifty years had done to Stefan and Damon, but that paled in comparison to what she saw when she looked into Klaus' liquid blue eyes.

"I also remember what it was like to feel, to really and truly feel. I remember what it felt like to have my hands on a woman…" He started and he moved closer to Elena. Elena met his eyes and watched him as his hand moved towards her and he placed it over her heart. Elena's pulse pounded in her ears so loud she couldn't concentrate. Klaus smiled and closed his eyes.

"Yes that, love. I remember what it felt like to feel a woman tremble under my touch and to feel her heart race, not in fear, but in want…in desire." He said softly. Elena felt her heart speed faster against her chest.

"Why are you doing this Elena?" Klaus said as his eyes drifted from her eyes to her lips. She felt his fingers move a piece of her hair and she closed her eyes.

"Doing what?" She asked breathlessly.

"Why are you carelessly putting your life on the line like this? Why are you searching for me? I could tell you were lying when you told your witch that you were trying to beat me at my own game. You barely listened to the warning she gave you. You simply listened to that irrational, uncontrollable and simply mesmerizing beating heart of yours. I could kill you right now, you realize that don't you love?" He asked sweetly as he looked back into her eyes. Elena was silent, she just nodded in submission.

"Then if you realize that, why are you here?" He asked again. Elena looked down at the ground and then back to his eyes.

"I don't know." She stammered. Klaus nodded and looked down.

Elena watched as Klaus struggled with something inside himself. She couldn't tell if he was deciding whether or not to kill her, or if something else boiled just under his surface. She knew though, whatever it was, she didn't have much time and if she was going to do something it had to be now.

Elena reached out slowly and gently touched Klaus' face. He didn't pull away from her quickly like she expected, so she continued. He closed his eyes and let her run her fingers over his cheek and down his jaw. She followed his jugular and trailed it down his neck and to his collarbone. She heard the low groan she remembered from her dream rumbling in Klaus' chest. She sucked in a breath and bit down on her lip. Her fingers began to tremble as she touched him. She had so many wants that filled her head at that moment it was hard to understand any of them. She swallowed hard and started to move forward. Her body hungered for him, needed him and wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything in her entire life. The closer she got, the stronger the hunger grew.

It took only a second and Elena felt the harsh grip of Klaus' fingers wrap around her throat. He grabbed her quickly, tightly and slammed her head back into the wall. She gasped loudly and cried out as her head spun from the pain. Klaus glared at her, his eyes filled with the same pain she had seen just the night before.

"Elena, you are testing my very delicate patience right now and I suggest you call your witch and get out of here." He said still holding her against the wall. Elena gasped in pain, but couldn't bring herself to fight to get away from him. Something stronger than her was holding her there.

"Please. Just let me stay a little while longer and then I will leave and I swear I will never come back." She begged as she felt his fingers digging into her delicate throat. Klaus looked at her and then slowly released her from his grip. Elena gasped and clutched her throat, gently rubbing over the indentation his fingers left behind.

"What is it that you want?" Klaus asked sounding both desperate and angry. Elena stepped forward once again and met Klaus' eyes. She timidly reached out a shaky hand and placed it on Klaus' chest. She felt the deep thud of a heart beat hit the hard plate of his sternum. She looked at him and then closed her eyes.

"You're human when you dream." She said softly. She left her eyes closed for a moment and felt herself get lost in the beautiful sound of life that sang from his chest. Finally, she opened her eyes and saw Klaus' blue eyes staring deep into her. The pale blue beauty of his stare was soft, but he seemed heartbroken.

"I've never felt a vampire's heart before." She whispered softly into the night. Klaus reached out and roughly grabbed Elena's throat once again. But the instant his hand met her skin, his touch softened. He let his hand run gently up her throat and then back down, caressing her skin. Elena saw a battle rage within him and she desperately wanted to tame the beast that tortured him. Klaus' eyes met hers once again and he reached slowly behind her neck. He let his fingers cradle the back of her head and then he feverishly pulled her to him.

The moment that Klaus' lips crushed hers, Elena felt a shockwave shoot through her entire body. The powerful impact of his skin set her on fire and the soft touch of his lips made her hunger for more. She reached towards him, but even though he kissed her deeply, he kept her far enough away for her to always crave more.

Elena ran her tongue over Klaus' bottom lip and over the soft contours of his tongue. She tasted every part of his mouth that he would allow and her body begged for him to touch her. With every hungry crush of his mouth on hers, she wanted more…needed more.

"Stop!" Klaus' voice boomed in her ears as she suddenly felt the chill of the stone wall behind her. She looked forward and noticed he was now across the room.

"I'm sorry, please." Elena begged, but she didn't know exactly what she was begging for. Klaus turned to her, his lips were red, his skin was flushed and his breathing was heavy.

"It's time for you to leave Elena." He spat out harshly. Elena started to move toward him, but he raised his hand and she found herself unable to move.

"Go Elena. If you don't go now, I will be forced to do something I really don't want to do tonight." He said his voice thick with anger.

Soon Elena heard booming from around the house. She looked around, but stopped as she heard Klaus start to laugh.

"Ah, Damon to the rescue I hear. You'd better get going love, he doesn't sound happy." He said with smirk. Elena felt the cold rush back in around her. She looked at Klaus.

"After a thousand years, you still have kept your humanity; you just keep it hidden so deep that no one else can see it. Everyone thinks you have flipped the switch, but you haven't. I felt that tonight." She said softly as she felt the walls around her begin to shake. The pain that flooded in Klaus' eyes began to fade away and he looked away and then she saw him force a smile.

"Oh my ever hopeful little doppelganger, that wasn't my humanity you felt." He said and then suddenly his words faded and Elena felt as if she was jolted into reality. The world spun and her body shook and suddenly she felt a sharp pain as her back hit something hard. Her eyes fluttered and then there was black.

"Elena, Elena can you hear me? She'd better not be dead witchy or so help me…" Damon's voice rocketed into her mind as Elena tried to focus in the dark. She moved her head to the side and found Damon's face. His beautiful face was frantic as he tried to pull any sign of life from her. She looked into his icy blue eyes and then turned and looked for Bonnie. Standing behind Damon, gripping her book in her arms, Bonnie stood shaking. Elena nodded to Bonnie and mouthed a thank you into the air. Bonnie nodded, but didn't say a word. Damon gently turned Elena's head back toward him. He stared into her eyes as he smoothed her hair away from her face.

"You are in so much trouble Elena! What the hell have you done?" He asked desperately, but before Elena could answer, she felt herself slip back into the darkness.

**Please read and review, thanks in advance. –Nikki XOXOXOXO**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4: The Present**_

__Elena sat silently next to the window in Stefan's bedroom and watched the rain fall gently onto the Boarding House grounds. She never had minded the rain much before, but today the storm seemed to rip a hole inside her that nothing seemed to fill.

Elena looked down at her wrist and ran her fingers over the smooth silver of Jenna's bracelet. She remembered the day that Stefan had given it to her for Jenna. They had been so worried about falling under Damon's compulsion that practically everyone she knew had received a Vervain laced token of her affection. It seemed so foolish now that they had lived in such fear of Damon. Sure, he had been the incarnation of evil when he rolled into Mystic Falls, but looking at him now, she couldn't imagine ever fearing him. He had protected her from every evil this town had seen in the past year and just the night before had carried her for a mile through the forest and returned her to the safe haven that was the closest thing she had to a home. He had rescued her again, even when she hadn't wanted him to.

"Where are you?" Elena whispered into the silence of the bedroom. She felt foolish saying the words out loud that had been screaming in her mind ever since the night before, but she couldn't help but hope that somewhere, he heard her.

"Elena?" Damon's voice cut through the silence like a knife and Elena dropped the book she held as she quickly turned toward him.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" He asked as he walked into the room. Elena shook her head as she reached down and picked up her book.

"No, just took me off guard. Guess I was lost in thought or something." She said quietly as she stood and walked toward him. Damon smiled softly.

"You haven't said much since we got back last night. How are you feeling?" He asked as he studied her face. Elena smiled half-heartedly.

"I'm fine. I am sorry that I scared you though. I really thought I was helping. I was sure that if I could just figure out what he was planning, then somehow I could save everyone." She said quietly. Damon smiled and let out a small laugh.

"I'll give you this Elena, you've got guts. You trespassed in the oldest vampire in the world's mind and lived to tell about it. I take back all the previous comments of you being weak that I have ever said." He joked with a smile. Elena was surprised. Damon's mood had changed dramatically since the night before. Last night he had yelled and screamed at her the whole way back to the Boarding House. He pummeled her with question after question about what had happened and she had simply said she didn't remember much, but that she had made him angry and so she ran and somehow had ended up lying in Damon's arms on the grass. She knew that if she told Damon the truth he would lock her in the house and never let her leave, some things were just better left unsaid.

"Well thank you Damon, I appreciate it." She said and then sat down at the edge of the bed. Damon knelt in front of her and looked into her eyes. The smile that had clung to his lips just moments ago was now washed away by a somber expression.

"Seriously though Elena, are you OK?" He asked as he reached up and touched her face. Elena nodded, but she did not speak.

"If he did something to you, you can tell me. I told you I would always protect you and I meant it." He said, his eyes clouded with love and concern. Elena let out a ragged breath. The night before still flashed through her mind. She remembered the pained look in Klaus' eyes as he told her about his childhood. She remembered the agony that pounded in her head after he had pushed her into the wall, but most of all she remembered the feeling she felt as he kissed her. She remembered the soft feeling of his tongue in her mouth as she felt his lips crush against hers. When she closed her eyes she swore she could still feel him against her skin.

"Elena?" Damon's voice broke into her memories suddenly. Elena shook her head and smiled once again.

"Damon I am fine really. I guess I just didn't really sleep that well last night. I'm probably just tired." She said. And this time she wasn't lying. She hadn't slept last night. Every hour she awoke searching for Klaus. It was the first time in a month that she hadn't dreamt of him and instead of relief; she felt a deep ache of loss.

Damon watched Elena closely as she seemed to struggle internally with something that she wouldn't speak of. He smiled softly and ran his fingers through her hair one more time before he stood.

"Why don't you get some rest? We can talk about all of this later. If you need anything, you know where to find me." He said and before she could answer, he was gone.

Elena slipped under the covers of Stefan's bed and nuzzled her head in the soft comfort of his overstuffed pillows. She closed her eyes and saw Klaus' painfully beautiful eyes staring back at her.

"Please…" She said into the silence. But, there was nothing. Tears began to roll down her face, and even though she couldn't quite figure out why, she let herself completely fall apart.

Finally, Elena began to feel herself drift off to sleep She hugged the blankets tight to her body and tried to soothe away the emptiness that clawed deep within her. She tossed and turned but somehow began to fall asleep. As she let go, she heard the faint sound of a doorbell ring in her ears.

The door to Stefan's bedroom burst open and hit the wall with a thud! Elena jolted out of bed and stared into the doorway where Damon and Alaric stood. Both of them stood wide eyed and looked as if they had just seen a ghost. Elena waited for one of them to speak but they both just stared at her in a stunned silence.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She asked as fear filled her body. Damon walked toward her quickly.

"Get downstairs, there's something we have to show you." He said. Elena nodded and got out of bed. Both Damon and Alaric walked so quickly down the stairs that Elena practically had to run to keep up with them.

"Guys, would you slow down and tell me what is…?" Elena called from behind them, but as she turned the corner to enter the living room, the words vanished from her lips. She stared across the room and felt as if she was dreaming once again. She shook her head and tried to come to her senses, but no matter what she did, the vision in front of her stayed the same.

"When did…" She started to say as she turned her head to look at Damon, but she couldn't even finish her sentence. Damon moved slightly closer to her.

"The doorbell rang a little bit ago and when I got to the door he was just lying there on the ground." He said. Elena nodded and walked slowly over to the couch.

Lying before her was the vision she had waited for over a month to see. Stefan lay on the couch and appeared to be sleeping. His hair was wet and matted to his forehead. His skin was slick and covered in small cuts and bruises that were already beginning to heal. His clothes were torn and he looked as if he had been attacked and then left at their door to die.

"Elena, what did you say to him?" Alaric said as he moved into the room behind her. Elena turned and looked at him.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, still lost in the confusion of the past couple of moments.

"What did you say to Klaus last night? Obviously you said something that made him do this." He said pressing forward. Elena shook her head.

"Nothing, I didn't say anything. Maybe Stefan escaped." She said as she looked down, still trying to figure out if all of this was real. Damon moved slowly and sat down in the chair next to the couch.

"No, he didn't escape Elena. He was released. I believe this belongs to you." He said as he reached out and opened his hand. Elena looked down and stared in disbelief. Her mind began to whirl and she couldn't seem to form a single thought that made sense. She reached out a shaky hand to Damon.

"My necklace." She said as she pulled the silver chain from his hand. Damon nodded.

"You brought him home Elena." Damon said as he smiled gently. Elena looked into his eyes and for the first time she saw gratitude in Damon's eyes. She had brought his brother home.

"I…I am just glad he's OK." She said as she reached down and touched Stefan's hair. He moved slightly, but didn't open his eyes. Elena smiled.

"He's home." She said, but deep inside she didn't feel the way she had dreamed she would feel the moment she had Stefan back in her arms. She was grateful that he was home and she was relieved the he was safe, but something deep inside her felt empty and cold.

Night fell on Mystic Falls and Elena found herself sitting once again by the window in Stefan's bedroom. This time though, she wasn't alone. She looked over to the bed and there laid Stefan. He was still unconscious, but most of his wounds had healed and the color was returning to his skin. She wondered what she would say to him when he woke up. She shook her head and returned her eyes to the window. The rain had continued to fall most the day and she now watched the rain drops form beautiful patterns on the window pane.

A bolt of lightning flashed and lit up the entire back yard to the Boarding House. Elena jumped as her coffee cup fell from her hands and hit the floor. She knelt to pick it up, but when she did she swore she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She moved closer to the window and looked out into the darkness. She knew that she must be losing her mind. She thought she had seen someone in the grass, but who would be crazy enough to be out in this weather at this time of night. The lightening flashed again and Elena froze as her heart skipped a beat.

The electrifying current that lit up the backyard shone bright for a second that seemed to last an hour as Elena stared in disbelief out the second story window. She looked down and standing in the grass she saw the dark shadow of a man standing motionlessly in the rain staring back at her.

Elena moved at inhuman speed as she ran from the window. The cup she had held in her hands once again fell and as she ran through the door she finally heard it hit the ground. She flew down the stairs and out the front door before she even noticed if anyone had seen her leave.

Once Elena made it outside she ran as fast as she could around to the back of the house. She narrowed her eyes and searched through the rain to find the dark figure that had drawn her out there. Her breath came out in pants as she looked around and saw nothing. Desperation filled her body as started to run further from the house and closer to the woods.

"If you are here, show yourself!" Elena yelled through the harsh pounding sound of the rain hitting the earth. She continued to look but she saw no one. She felt her clothes heavy on her body as the rain soaked through to her skin. She wrapped her arms around her body and pleaded once again.

"Please!" She called. The seconds felt like hours and Elena felt her heart break as she realized she was alone. She stood in the rain and felt the pain wash over her in a strong wave as she turned to return to the house.

"Did you get your present, love?" A voice called from behind her. Elena froze and closed her eyes. She slowly turned toward the beautiful voice and when she opened her eyes she saw him standing before her.

"Why did you let him go?" Elena asked as she tried to make out the features of the man in front of her through the heavy sheets of rain. She heard the sweet rumble of laughter wash over her.

"That's my girl, never satisfied. You have begged for his return for a month, Elena. You bargained with me, begged me, and sacrificed yourself at my feet, all so that I would return your precious Stefan to your arms. Well now I have done it. And instead of thanking me, you are asking me why?" He asked as he moved closer to her. Elena swallowed hard as she pushed her wet hair out of her eyes. Klaus was close enough now that she could see his face and it pained her that she was still far enough away she couldn't reach him.

"You know I am grateful. Thank you. I owe you my life for returning him safely to us. You will never know how much this means to me." She said as she tried to regain control of the emotions she felt spinning out of her grasp. Klaus moved closer still.

"Then why are you out here love? Why aren't you tending to the broken man that lay upstairs in your bed? Why are you standing out in the storm with the man that is responsible for his absence?" He asked. Elena swallowed and looked down. She didn't know what to say. She had been doing nothing but imagining seeing Klaus for the past twenty four hours, but now that he was there, she was speechless.

"Where have you been?" She asked quietly. She hated how desperate and childish her voice sounded. Klaus smiled and soon was standing close enough to her that she could feel his warm breath against the soft skin of her lips.

"What do you mean?" He asked still smiling. Elena tried to look away, but couldn't find the strength.

"Last night, I…" She started, but finally pulled her eyes down to look at the ground. Within seconds she felt Klaus' hand under her chin. He lifted it and looked into her eyes, his smile had now faded.

"You called for me. You called all night long. You whispered for me as you laid in bed praying for sleep and then you cried for me as you dreamt restlessly." He said softly as his hand caressed her skin. Elena took a deep breath.

"Why did you ignore me?" She asked as the rain drops slid off her eyelashes and clouded her vision. Klaus swallowed and looked down.

"Elena what you are doing is something so dangerous, even I can't let you do it. Last night I sat alone in the woods after I watched Damon carrying you away and I found myself wondering why I didn't kill you the moment you invaded my mind. I have never second guessed killing someone in all my years." He said slowly as emotion filled his now wavering voice.

"I stayed in the woods all night. I heard you calling to me and I felt as if I were being ripped in two. You sounded so…" He stopped. Elena watched him in amazement. He was so filled with emotion that she wanted to touch him, but she still feared his reaction.

"You sounded so filled with sadness. Need dripped from your every heartbreaking plea. I have never heard my name sound that way one someone's lips before. I listened to you all night and when morning came…" He stopped. Klaus looked up into Elena's eyes and then at her lips. He was silent for a moment and Elena felt the strong beat of her heart pulse throughout her entire body. She licked her lips and then looked back into his eyes as need radiated strongly through her. She yearned to touch him, but in breath Klaus was far from her once again. He ran his fingers through his hair and regained his composure.

"When morning came I realized what I needed to do. I no longer needed my ripper, so I decided to let him come home. It's been a fun run, but comrades come and go and I must move on." He said as he continued to move back toward the woods. Elena felt the cold air hit her and knock the air out of her lungs.

"You're leaving?" She asked. Klaus smiled and nodded as he raised his hands out to his sides.

"Come on Elena! You should be happy. You have been trying to get rid of me since the day you learned my name. You have spent the greater part of the past year trying to kill me. Celebrate! The big bad wolf won't be haunting you anymore." He said with a cold laugh. Elena moved closer.

"No, please…I" She started to speak, but couldn't find the words she wanted to say. She tried to think of something to say to him, but before she could, she felt Klaus' body against hers. She felt herself hit the side of the Boarding House and her breath escape in a gasp. Klaus' hand pinned both her wrists above her head as he stared coldly into her warm brown eyes.

"Listen to me, my foolish little girl. Be happy I am leaving. I am giving you a second chance at life and that is something I don't do often. I came here to kill you and somehow your weak human body survived. I returned your lover and I spared your witch on more than one occasion. I am leaving, so return to your pathetic life and thank your God every day that you survived me." He screamed coldly against her skin. Elena shook and nodded as she looked into his eyes. Klaus dropped his head and slowly moved away from her body. He turned and slowly moved back toward the woods.

"Do you know why I called to you, Klaus?" Elena called before he faded from her sight. She saw him stop, but he didn't turn or speak a word.

"I called to you because after that night that I dreamt of you in the forest, nothing has been the same. I don't feel the way that I felt about people that I thought I loved, I don't yearn for the things that I thought I needed and I don't want the things that I always wanted." She yelled into the rain. Klaus turned slightly and looked at her over his shoulder. He stared at her and then in a blur, was standing in front of her face. Pain filled his pale blue eyes and he breathed deep within his chest.

"What is it that you want, Elena?" He asked her. His tone had changed. Anger didn't drip from his every word, there wasn't a threat hanging in the air and he didn't seem to have an underlying reason for his question. Instead now, his voice was broken and filled with a need that had lived with in him for a thousand years.

"I want you." She said weakly. Her voice seemed to break as she spoke, but she knew she had to say it no matter what the cost. Klaus did not move, he just looked down at the ground and shook his head.

"I cannot give you that love. As strange as it sounds, I am not my own to give." He said, his voice was filled with sadness. Elena moved forward slightly.

"Then I give myself to you. Take me. I am yours." She said through her falling tears.

Klaus' head rose and he looked at her. His face was dripping wet and his golden hair was messed in waves on his head. The dark blue shirt he wore clung to his body and the beautiful cords of muscle were no longer hiding beneath the material. His eyes flooded with abandon and he moved so close to her that she could feel the heat from his body. He stared into her eyes and Elena stepped back until she felt her back hit the side of the Boarding House once again. Klaus reached out his hand and ran it along the side of Elena's face.

"You will never cry for me again." He said softly and then in a flash of heat, his lips crushed down on hers and Elena felt her body once again come to life.

**Please read and review, thanks in advance. –Nikki XOXOXOXO**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Set Fire To The Rain**

Elena felt the warmth of the morning sun against her skin as it flooded in through the bedroom window. She snuggled into the warm soft fabric of Stefan's quilt and let herself slowly emerge from her deep slumber. She breathed in deeply and felt as if she had never breathed before. She felt the sweet sensation of the air enter her nose and then weave its way throughout her entire body. She rolled onto her back and stretched her arms above her head and felt all her senses tingle and hum within her. She felt like she had awoken for the first time and the rest of her life had simply been a dream.

_A dream_. Is that all last night had been? Had the earth shattering ecstasy that had consumed her body been something she had just created in her mind? Elena let out a deep breath and ran her fingers through her tangled hair. Had she really been reduced to this? Reduced to someone clinging for life to dreams of yet one more thing that she could not have? It had felt so real, and so painfully intoxicating.

Elena closed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair once again. She stopped for a moment and let her fingers linger on her skin. Slowly, she trailed her fingers down the soft warm skin of her neck and over the hard plane of her collarbone. She sank deeper in the warmth of the sheets and let her hands continue down over the soft flesh of her breasts. She felt her heart beat quicken as flashes from the night before broke into her mind. She continued down and ran her hands over the tight expanse of her stomach and for a moment she felt as if it was him that was touching her. She could still feel the power of his touch and the delicious taste of his skin as he tortured her sweetly. She remembered how his breath had burned her body as he moaned against her wet wanton flesh. Elena's body shook as the memories washed over her and begged for the sweet release that only he could give her.

"While this is amazing to watch, I think you have some explaining to do young lady?" Elena's heart jumped in her chest and she shot up in bed. She looked across the room and saw Damon sitting in a chair by the door.

"Damon…what are you doing in here? Where is Stefan?" She questioned quickly as she drew the covers up around her body. Damon smiled and shook his head while he stood.

"Stefan? Stefan is out hunting. He came to in the middle of the night and figured that getting some Bambi blood in his system would get his strength back faster. As for me, well I am here because, being the idiot I am, I was worried about you." He said moving closer to the bed. Elena held the covers tight to her body as she collected herself.

"Why were you worried about me?" She asked in a small voice. She heard Damon laugh as he moved into her line of vision once again.

"Oh, I don't know Elena. It could be the fact that you disappeared in the middle of the night and no one seemed to be able to find you. I called everyone I could think of. Bonnie hadn't heard from you. Caroline had no idea where you were. Alaric and your brother assumed that I could keep track of you, silly them. But, I guess I must have just asked all the wrong people." He said, his voice taking on a dark sarcastic tone that made Elena's heart beat unevenly in her chest.

"I needed some time to clear my head. I went for a walk and I guess I lost track of time." She said quietly, still not meeting his eyes. Damon laughed again as he paced the room.

"You went for a walk, huh? Taking a walk in the middle of the night in a thunderstorm seems a little dangerous Elena. Why would you want to walk in that kind of weather all by your lonesome?" He asked cocking his head to the side. Elena had a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that this conversation was going nowhere good fast.

"I don't know, I guess I just needed to think." She said. Damon moved in a blur of and suddenly stood right before her. He grabbed her arms and pulled her close to him so she had no choice but to look into his eyes.

"How dumb do you think I am, Elena?" He asked, his voice suddenly filled with anger as he tightened his grip. Elena shook her head.

"I don't know what you are talking about." She said quietly as she fought against his grip. Damon laughed and let go of her wrists and moved back away from the bed.

"Don't know what I am talking about, huh? OK, well I will speak very slowly so you understand exactly what I am talking about Elena. I spent most of the night last night searching for you. I called everyone, I searched the usual places that you seem to always run off to, but after a while I simply came in here and sat and waited. I figured I would wait until day break and if you hadn't returned then I would involve the others." Damon started, continuing to pace.

"You know Elena; the sun began to rise and hell, I almost thought you were in trouble. I thought you weren't coming back. Well, guess what Elena? You did come back." He said as he stopped and turned to look at her. Elena's heart moved faster in her chest.

"I…I don't really…" She started to say, but words fleeted from her mind. Damon smiled as he started walking toward the bed once more.

"You don't remember, Elena? No, you probably wouldn't. See, just when I was about to give up, I heard something. And then, something incredibly fucked up happened…wanna take a guess on what that was sweetheart?" He asked sarcastically. Elena looked down, but didn't say a word.

"OK, I'll end the suspense because I know we are both dying for the big finish. What was really fucked up Elena was that you didn't come home alone. When I looked to see what the noise was, I saw Klaus appear in the window and you asleep in his arms." He said. Elena looked up.

"Damon…" She started, but he cut her off.

"He carried you in and laid you down in Stefan's bed and then the best part of the whole fucked up nightmare that I seem to be living is that before he left he kissed you." Damon stopped. Elena looked up and met his angry gaze.

"I can explain." She said quietly, but her mind was spinning so fast she couldn't even finish her sentence. Suddenly, the night rushed back to her. It hadn't been a dream; it had been real, so incredibly real that it almost hurt to think about it. Damon stared at Elena waiting for an answer, but she just sat there and closed her eyes and suddenly she was back in the rain.

**12 Hours Earlier**

The rain poured down from the black night sky harder with every passing moment. Elena's body was drenched with water and her hair lay matted to her beautiful face. She leaned against the foundation of the Boarding House and clung to Klaus for support, as her legs felt too weak for her to stand alone. Klaus ran his hands through Elena's hair as he kissed her lips hungrily. With every move of their bodies they pushed closer to each other. Elena's body ached in pain from the contact, but yet she pushed harder against him as she tried to close any space that still remained.

"Elena, love. Come with me." Klaus said breathlessly as he pulled away from her lips. Elena met his eyes and nodded as he moved back from her body. Klaus reached out his hand for her and even though the gesture was so simple, something about it felt more intimate to her than all of the nights she'd spent in Stefan's bed.

Klaus led Elena into the darkness of the woods. They followed a narrow muddy path until they reached a small cavern. He led her silently inside and soon he faded from her sight as the darkness filled her vision.

Soon a warm orange light flickered and Elena saw Klaus standing a few feet in front of her. He held a small lantern that let off a soft glow of beautiful light. He set the lantern at his feet and watched Elena as she began to move.

Elena studied the jagged rock walls that surrounded her. Carvings and stories were etched out along the walls, telling a mystic story of the past. She smiled as she followed the writing with her hands, admiring their beauty, but then suddenly she stopped. She looked up and saw carvings on the wall that looked older than much of the rest. Most of the carvings were beautiful pictures with strange writing under them that Elena found breathtaking, but didn't completely understand. But, it hadn't been the pictures that had stopped her so quickly. When she looked above the pictures she saw names etched deeply in the stone. _Rebekah… Elijah… Mikael…_and finally_…Nicklaus._

Elena traced the last name with her fingertips. A sadness washed over her as her heart seemed to comprehend something that her mind hadn't even yet realized. Suddenly she felt Klaus' hand on her shoulder. He slowly moved his fingers down the length of her arm and then wrapped his fingers around hers.

"Such a very long time ago love." He said softly. Elena turned slightly until her eyes met his once again. They were so close that she could feel his warm breath on her skin. Her heart began to race in her chest. Klaus smiled at her and ran his fingertips over the softness of her lips and then trailed down the supple length of her neck and to her chest. He opened his hand and let it rest over the skin that covered her rapidly beating heart. She closed her eyes and felt her heart speed even faster in response to his touch.

"I now understand why you torture Damon so." He said quietly as he ran his tongue over his lips and closed his eyes. He let out a deep breath and seemed to battle something inside of him for control. Slowly his hand slipped away from her.

"Please don't run from me again." Elena begged in a desperate voice. Even she could recognize the need that dripped from her every word.

"Elena, you do not realize what you ask of me." He said as he moved his fingertips back up to her neck and rubbed them gently against her warm skin. Elena's breathing became erratic. Her pulse pounded throughout her body and she felt the heat from his touch move deep within her. She turned her head to the side, trying to catch her breath, and felt as Klaus' hand followed and ran over the skin of her cheek, her chin and then her lips. Elena opened her mouth and kissed his hand. She raised her fingertips and held his hand to her mouth as she kissed, licked and gently bit the delicious skin of his strong hand. Klaus closed his eyes and a growl escaped from deep within him. Elena felt herself become slick with need at the sound of his pleasure.

"Please, I will do anything you ask." She begged as she ran her tongue over the soft skin of the palm of his hand. She closed her eyes and bit him harder as she dug her fingernails into his wrist. Klaus groaned and could feel the need arise within him as she left wet trails over his skin. He looked down at Elena and felt his control slip through his fingertips.

Elena felt a surge of adrenaline rush through her veins as she felt the strength of Klaus' body crush against hers. His lips hungrily claimed her mouth and with every kiss he pushed himself closer to her. She felt the silky fabric of her shirt rip under his hands and in an instant fall to the ground. She kissed him feverishly as she reached out and pulled his wet T-shirt up and over his head. Elena leaned her head back against the wall and raked her eyes hungrily over Klaus' bare skin. She moved her hands over the strong tightness of his chest and then ran her fingertips down the rough corded muscles of his stomach. Klaus let out a ragged breath and pulled her closer to him. He slid his hands down the length of her bare skin until he reached the softness of her thigh. He clutched her roughly and slid her body up the wall. Elena felt the pain of the jagged rocks scrapping against her skin, but instead of crying out she moaned in pleasure.

Klaus pushed himself against the soft curves of Elena's body and pulled her legs around him. He ran his hands over the soft skin of her legs and as he reached her hips he pulled her hard against the part of him that ached for her the most. He lingered inches from her lips and as she moved closer, longing for his kiss, he pulled away.

"Why are you torturing me?" She asked breathlessly against his skin. He smiled and slowly moved his lips to the soft center of her throat. He breathed hard against her thudding pulse and then ran his tongue painfully slow over the thick vein. Elena moaned and felt the wet hot sensation of his tongue flow through her body and burn deep in her core.

"I torture you because you want me to, love." He said in a low voice that seemed to come from somewhere dark and primal. Elena shook as she felt him lick back up her neck and then run his teeth over her pulse point.

"Tell me what you want Elena." He breathed against her skin. Elena shook and let out a ragged breath. Her head was dizzy and she felt her body weak and consumed with need.

"I want you." She breathed closing her eyes as she felt Klaus' hand move slowly up her thigh.

"You want me to what?" He asked again, this time he moved his lips so they were against the thin skin just behind her ear. Elena shook.

"Tell me what you want I will give it to you Elena." He breathed and then his hand slipped into the top of her skirt and in an instant she heard the rip of material and felt it fall to her feet. Elena closed her eyes and swallowed. She turned her head to meet Klaus' eyes. Looking into his beautiful pale blue eyes she saw a hunger that rivaled anything she had ever seen before. His want consumed her and made her want to do anything to please him.

"Touch me." She whispered. Klaus smiled slightly and then slid his hand from the smooth skin of her thigh just over the wet material of her panties. She watched his face as he licked his lips. She felt her senses rush over her all at once as she felt his fingers slide under the material and finally touch her hot delicate skin.

"Mmmm…" She moaned as she bit down hard on her lip and closed her eyes. Klaus leaned closer but stopped just before his lips touched hers. He ran his finger over her wet clit and stopped just over the place where she ached in pain.

"What do you want now, Elena?" He asked, with every word he spoke his lips brushed against hers. Elena breathed out shakily.

"More…" She begged.

In a flash Elena found herself on her back on the cool ground of the cavern. Klaus knelt above her and ran his fingers over the smooth skin of her quivering thighs. With every touch he studied her reaction. And with every plea he gave her just a little bit more.

Soon he sank lower and lifted one of her legs and placed it over his shoulder. He kissed the inside of her knee gently and then trailed hot open mouthed kissed up her thigh. The closer he got to Elena's aching core the longer the kisses got. He kissed deeper and licked slower and scrapped his teeth harder against her soft flesh.

"Klaus please." Elena begged as she arched her back in response to his torture. He smiled, but her pleas only made him want her more.

Once he reached the top of her thigh, Klaus slid his hands over her pelvic bone and under her hips. He raised her to his mouth and bit gently on the soft flesh of her shivering side. He licked down over her hip bone and then stopped just over the spot that hungered for him most.

"Please Klaus, don't stop." Elena begged as she writhed under his hands and ground her back into the cold cavern floor. Klaus breathed against the delicate flesh that begged him for relief.

"God I love it when you beg." He whispered against her skin and then leaned closer and let his mouth consume her.

Elena gasped as silent moans escaped her lips. She had never felt pleasure until she had been under his hands that night. The feel of his tongue as it ran over her skin sent sensations through her body that she didn't know existed. He licked, kissed and sucked on her delicate skin until her body reached its breaking point. He could feel the blood rushing through her body and her heart beat pounded so hard that it radiated throughout her every vein. Just as he felt her reach her edge he stopped. Elena cried out.

"Please, don't stop, please." She begged as she body shook and sweat poured down her skin. Klaus smiled again and ran his hand up her stomach and to her chest and then back down.

"Look at me Elena." He said roughly. Elena opened her eyes and looked down and met his gaze. He looked at her hungrily and licked over her once more.

"Fuck…" She cried and watched as he tortured her with the wet fire that his tongue left all over her skin.

Elena's body began to shake and her vision blurred. Her eyes rolled back and closed as she felt the first wave hit her body. The rush of fire started in her core and the exploded throughout her entire body. It flowed through every vein and shot through to every pulse point. Her skin burned as every nerve came to life and ached with need. She screamed into the dark night as she reached down and dug her fingernails deep into Klaus' skin. She called his name and begged for things she knew she could never have. Finally, her heart began to slow and she felt the waves subside.

Klaus crawled up her body, trailing his fingers over every inch of her flesh within his grasp. Elena looked into his eyes and reached up and ran her fingertips over his lips. She pulled her fingers back and then ran her tongue over them. Klaus watched her and felt his need begin to overwhelm him. Elena moved her fingers back to his lips and then drug them down his neck, over the tight muscles of his chest and stomach and then over the hard length under his jeans. Elena swallowed hard.

"God, I've never wanted anything so much in my life as I want you." She said desperately as she rubbed her hand over him once again. Klaus moved back onto his knees and looked at her as he began to undo his pants.

"No." Elena said quickly as she sat up. Klaus stopped and looked at her.

Elena reached out and unfastened the button of Klaus' jeans and then slid them down from his hips. She ran his fingers over the hard length of him through his boxers and then slid them down as well. She looked at him and licked her lips. She reached out to touch him again but he caught her hand. She looked up into his eyes, half in fear and half in complete need.

Klaus leaned down and crawled over her body once again. He took her wrist that he still held in his hand and kissed the soft skin gently and then released it. Elena ran her fingers down his body and then pulled him closer to her. He ran his fingers through her hair and then gently pulled her head back, exposing her delicate throat. He leaned down and kissed the skin just over her jugular softly and then pushed deep inside her.

The feel of Klaus inside her was something that Elena had never experienced before. As he moved inside of her she felt it throughout her entire body. With every thrust he touched her in a place she had never felt before. With every movement she felt a new rush of pleasure that she hadn't known existed. Waves of pleasure rushed over her one after another and her body clung to his as if her life depended on it.

Just as she felt another rush coming over her body, Elena turned her head to the side and gently kissed the sweet skin of Klaus' arm. She opened her eyes and saw the tender flesh of his wrist and she leaned closer and licked a wet line across his beautiful vein. The delicious taste of his skin intoxicated her and she licked him again and dragged her teeth roughly against him. He groaned and she could hear the want growing inside him. She scraped her teeth against him again and then bit down as hard as she could. Klaus' movements slowed a bit and he looked down at her. She bit feverishly at his skin and her eyes were plagued with a need that he had never seen in a human before. He felt her move her hips against him again as she bit down and so he leaned down to her lips.

"What is it you want, love?" He breathed helplessly as he felt her teeth on his skin. Elena closed her eyes and licked over the already fading marks she had left on him.

"I want to taste you." She said quietly. She turned her head and looked into his eyes.

"Please." She said softly. Klaus looked at her and at that moment realized that he would give her anything she wanted. He was too weak to deny her and deep within him, he didn't want to deny her even if he could.

Klaus moved his arm from beside Elena and brought his wrist to his lips. He bit down on the tender skin that covered his vein. Before he could return his arm to Elena's grasp he felt her pull him to her and crush her lips against his. She kissed him hard and licked the blood from his lips. He wrapped himself around her once more and then pushed deep inside her again.

Klaus slid his arm under the small of Elena's back and pulled her body closer to his so that there was no place their skin didn't touch. He gently pressed his wrist against Elena's mouth and then ground his hips hard against hers. Elena moaned loudly and dug her nails deep into the strong skin of his back as she drank feverishly from his wound.

"God, Elena." Klaus moaned raggedly and he pushed deeper inside of her, but the more he gave her the more she took and soon he was pounding against her with reckless abandon as she screamed for him and licked the sweet blood from his now healing arm.

"Please don't stop." Elena cried as she buried her face in his neck and bit down into his shoulder. Klaus shuddered and felt himself reach his edge. Elena could tell that he was close and so she pulled back and turned his face to her.

"Look at me." She said in a breathless voice. Klaus breathed out.

"Please." Elena moaned as she felt the wave begin to wash over her. She pushed closer to him and he met her gaze. He stared into her eyes and felt as if he had jumped off a cliff. He shook and dropped his arms to both sides of Elena's head to brace him and try to gain control as he felt himself release hard inside her.

"Don't stop!" She screamed as he moved harder against her aching body. He moved faster against her and felt her tighten and shake as sweat poured down her skin and her screams echoed throughout the cavern.

Soon, Klaus' body slowed and he lowered himself onto his side next to Elena. His breaths were coming out in ragged pants and his skin was covered in both his and Elena's sleek sweat. He looked over at her and saw her chest heave as she tried to regain her composure. Her eyes looked heavy and she swallowed hard.

"Sleep love." Was all he said as he moved her wet hair from her face. Elena fought against sleep as her eyes fluttered. She shook her head.

"If I sleep you'll be gone when I open my eyes again." She said quietly. Klaus felt an ache in his chest and looked away.

"Sleep." Was all he said and then he watched as her eyes fluttered closed and she drifted away.

**Please read and review, thanks in advance. XOXOXO Nikki**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Blood Lust**

Elena sat in the kitchen of the Boarding House and stared across the table into Bonnie's worried eyes. Damon had called her soon after his interrogation with Elena hadn't gone as well as he had hoped and now Bonnie sat before her hoping to save Elena from the dangerous tight rope she was walking.

"You know, Damon called me pretty freaked out this morning, Elena." Bonnie said casually as she looked across the table at Elena. Elena fidgeted in her chair and ran her shaky fingers through her hair.

"Well Damon does seem to have the flair for the dramatic." Elena said as she avoided Bonnie's stare. Bonnie leaned closer and wrapped her fingers around her warm coffee cup.

"Elena, I don't think that Damon is being dramatic this time. You were missing all night last night and then suddenly this morning you are brought back, unconscious, by Klaus." Bonnie said as her face twisted in confusion. Elena looked up and then let out an uneasy breath as she stood and walked toward the refrigerator.

"I wasn't unconscious Bonnie, I was asleep." She corrected in a matter of fact voice as she pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and then closed the door.

"Just tell me what happened last night Elena. You can trust me; I am your best friend." Bonnie said as she reached across the table and grabbed Elena's free hand. Elena looked up and met her gaze. She squeezed her hand and then pulled hers away slowly. She looked down and then opened the top of her water bottle. She lifted the bottle to her lips and in an instant the bottle was empty. Bonnie couldn't quite put her finger on it but she knew that something about Elena was different.

"If I tell you what happened last night Bonnie, will it stay between us?" Elena asked not looking up from the table.

"In the vault, I swear." Bonnie said with a worried smile. Elena smiled slightly and then looked out the kitchen window as she spoke.

"Last night after Damon and Alaric found Stefan at the door, I spent most of the day sitting and waiting for him to wake up. Once the storm picked up, I looked out the window and I thought I saw Klaus outside. I wasn't sure if I was imagining it, but something that seemed so much stronger than me seemed to pull me outside. I knew I had to look for him." She said quietly. Bonnie watched her and even though Elena sat right in front of her, it seemed like she was in a different world.

"So, I went outside to look for him. I figured that if I could just talk to him, I could figure out what had changed that made him return Stefan. I thought maybe he was up to something and if I could just find out what, maybe I could stop him." Elena said. She looked down and felt disgust with herself as she lied to Bonnie. Bonnie had been her best friend for as long as she could remember, but telling her the real reason she had searched for Klaus, was just too hard.

"OK, so what happened once you found him, Elena?" Bonnie asked quietly. Elena studied her water bottle and Bonnie watched as she slowly ripped the label from the plastic and shredded it into small pieces on the table.

"He said I should be grateful that he brought Stefan back. He said that he didn't need Stefan anymore and that he was leaving. I got so upset and I don't know why and then…." Elena stopped. She didn't know how to explain the rest to Bonnie. How could Bonnie ever understand why she had begged Klaus to stay? How could she understand why she had went with him into the darkness of the woods and why she didn't feel the fear that she knew she should have.

"Well then I…." Elena started, but before she could finish her sentence she heard footsteps enter the kitchen. She closed her eyes and waited.

"Then, she slept with Klaus." A voice said from behind her. Elena turned so quickly that she almost fell out of her chair. Behind her, in jeans and a black button up shirt stood the man that only a few weeks ago she would have ran to in a second. The man that she had hunted for, searched for, and prayed to God that he would return to her.

"Stefan, you're back." Elena said as she steadied herself in her chair and nervously ran her fingers through her hair. Stefan walked slowly into the kitchen. The sound of his boots hitting the floor seemed painfully loud in Elena's ears.

"Yes Elena I'm back. I had a long night of hunting, what with all the rain. Sounds like you had quite the night too." He said with an edge in his voice. Elena looked down quickly at the floor. Guilt flooded over her body.

"Stefan, I…" She started, but Stefan raised his hand to stop her.

"You don't owe me any explanation, Elena, honestly. I left you and I didn't even give you a reason. When you came looking for me I turned you away and I told you to let me go. I knew that you would eventually move on and you are definitely entitled to do so. I do find it interesting, however, that when you decided to move on you choose the very homicidal hybrid that has been holding me hostage for the last month, but hey, we all have our quirks." He said sarcastically. Bonnie stood and stared between Elena and Stefan in disbelief. She took in a deep breath and finally tried to find the words she had been searching for the past couple of minutes.

"Elena he's not serious, is he? You didn't sleep… with Klaus?" She asked, her voice filled with both concern and disgust. Elena turned and looked at Bonnie and then looked away.

"Yes Bonnie, but you don't understand." Elena started, trying to form an explanation in her mind so that she would understand, but deep down she knew no matter what she said, it wouldn't matter.

Elena stood in the silence of the kitchen with Stefan and Bonnie for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she stood and found her way back to the fridge. She grabbed another bottle of water and downed it in an instant once again. Then she reached inside and grabbed a piece of cold chicken from a plate and started to eat. Bonnie stared at her in shock.

"You can eat at a time like this Elena? You just told us you slept with Klaus. Remember Klaus? He's the evil vampire that has killed half our friends and members of your own family!" Bonnie yelled as she stood from the table and in the process knocked her chair to the floor. Elena looked at her and paused for a moment, but then took another bite of chicken. She understood why Bonnie was so upset, but Elena was starving. She felt as if she hadn't eaten or drank anything in years and denying her hunger seemed too difficult.

Stefan studied Elena from the other side of the room. He stared at her in silence and watched her every movement while she continued to eat. He watched her quick movements and the way she seemed to savor every bite. He noticed how she licked her fingers after every piece and as she did she closed her eyes and seemed to take in the sensation. He let out a breath and prayed that his worst fears weren't true.

"So I take it we all know Elena's dirty little secret now? I mean I am not one to judge, I have done some naughty things myself, but I guess I just didn't realize she was into such…mature men." Damon said breaking the silence as he walked into the kitchen. He had a crooked smile on his face, but deep down he was anything but happy about the situation.

"Elena, I need you to answer something, OK?" Stefan said ignoring his brother's dramatic entrance. Elena nodded as she took another bite of her chicken without looking up.

"What else happened last night?" He asked with a sudden edge in his voice as he moved closer to her. Elena finally looked up and shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"Nothing, I told you everything." She said in a nonchalant tone. Stefan continued to move closer to her. Once he reached her he looked in her eyes, scanned over her face and then reached his fingers up to her chin and gently turned her head. He examined her neck and seemed confused.

"Did he feed on you Elena? You can tell us if he did, no one is going to be angry with you." Stefan said in a gentle tone. He hoped that if he killed her with kindness maybe she would reveal whatever secret she was hiding. Damon stood and walked over and stood next to his brother and Elena.

"Do I want to know what is going on here?" Damon asked as he looked intently between the two of them.

"No he didn't Stefan. It wasn't like that. Look I really don't want to talk about this anymore." Elena said as she shrugged loose from Stefan's hands and returned to her food. Stefan lifted her head once again and ran his fingers up Elena's jaw and over the skin of her cheek, concern spread over his face. Elena closed her eyes and fought a satisfied smile that was lingering at the edges of her lips.

"Mmmm..That feels good." She said softly. Stefan let out a deep breath. He knew then his suspicions had been confirmed.

"She sounds drunk. What the hell is going on?" Damon asked. Stefan closed his eyes and then slowly pushed away from her. He turned and looked at Damon and Bonnie.

"She's not drunk. Elena must have drank Klaus' blood and trust me, that is much worse." He said as he ran his fingers nervously through his hair and then clenched his fist in anger.

Before Elena could defend herself, Damon was in front of her.

"Elena, tell me you aren't that stupid. Tell me that you did not drink thousand year old hybrid blood." He said as he studied her face much like his brother had. Elena put down her food and looked down at the tiled kitchen floor.

"Oh fuck you did. God damnit Elena! What the hell is wrong with you? You just can't go around drinking the blood of the oldest vampire slash werewolf in the world and figure it's no big deal! That shit has to have gone bad by now." Damon yelled as he slammed his hand down on the kitchen counter.

"Damon, relax. It happened and now we have to fix it." Stefan said, Bonnie watched him from across the room and hoped that his words meant that he had a plan.

"Why fix it Stefan? Let's celebrate! Our little girl is growing up! Why just yesterday she was nervously kissing our very own brooding vegetarian vampire and giggling like a school girl. But now, well now she's made her way up to fucking a manipulative, psychopathic Original that is also force feeding her his blood in some strange plot to totally fuck up our lives!" Damon screamed as he moved across the room in a flash and then tried to compose himself.

"He didn't force feed me anything Damon." Elena said coldly trying to defend herself as she sat back in her seat at the table. Damon laughed and clapped his hands together.

"Of course he didn't. So was it that good Elena? Did it taste like strawberry kool aid and sunshine? Frankly I have always imagined that it would taste more like pure acid, but hey I'm not a romantic like you." He said his tone cold and angry.

Elena looked down and closed her eyes. She tried not listen as Damon screamed but she couldn't help but feel the memory of Klaus' blood return to her suddenly. She remembered the sweet taste of his crimson elixir as it had moved over her lips and the intoxicating feeling as is ran slowly down her throat. She could still feel his smooth skin against her mouth and feel his body shake as she drank from him. His moans echoed through her brain and she felt her mouth water with hunger.

"Elena! Listen to me, you gotta snap out of this! I know you had a great time rolling around in the woods with a cold blooded serial killer that's been dead for a thousand years, and hell, haven't we all, but this has to stop now. Klaus is using you. He is up to something and if we don't figure it out now then we are fucked on a massive level." Damon said as he appeared quickly in front of Elena's eyes. Elena looked at him and then looked down.

"No, I…" She started but she didn't know what to say. She felt tears welling up in her eyes as she felt the coldness of Damon's words. He stared into her eyes intensely and Elena could see the pain and concern that loomed behind his expression.

"Elena you have to listen to us. Whatever happened last night or whatever you thought you felt, it wasn't real. Klaus is an Original and he is incredibly powerful and dangerous. He is capable of things that we cannot even fathom. He tricked you and used you and I am so sorry. But now we have to protect you and we have to make sure that you never see him again. " Damon said in a softer tone. The pain in Elena's eyes broke his heart, but he could live with seeing her in pain, he couldn't live without her.

"If any of us see him again Elena, we have to kill him." Damon said as he finished the speech he honestly thought he would never have to give, especially to Elena.

Elena looked at him and the tears that her eyes had been holding spilled down over her cheeks. She shook her head and moved quickly away from Damon.

"No. You don't understand Damon, no! None of you understand." She screamed and then she ran out of the kitchen and in the distance all they heard were her cries as she ran up the stairs.

Elena sat on the floor of the shower and cried as the hot water beat down on her skin. She didn't understand why she was crying, but for the past hour she had done nothing but that. Just a week before if someone would have told her that Klaus needed to die, she would have been first in line, stake in hand. But now everything was different. She knew that everyone was trying to protect her, but she couldn't begin to believe what they had been saying to her. How could the night before have all been a lie? Why would he have been pretending with her like that? He was the strongest vampire in the world, if he'd wanted her as a play thing he would have just taken her. He wouldn't have touched her like that, kissed her like that, or made love to her the way he had. Elena dropped her head and rested it on her knees. Pain filled her chest as she wondered if her friends had been right.

Elena sat on the floor of the shower for another couple of minutes and then finally found the strength to stand and turn off the water. Steam had filled the bathroom and made it difficult for her to see. She opened the shower curtain and reached for the towel hanging next to the door. She wrapped the towel around her body and then froze in her place. She looked out into the steam and as she tried to focus her eyes she saw him standing before her.

"Hello Elena." Klaus said leaning against the bathroom door. The heartbreakingly beautiful sight of him took Elena's breath away, but she tried with all her strength to keep ahold of her senses. He wore black jeans and a light sand colored long sleeve shirt that hung slightly open at his chest. The material of the shirt was thin and clung closely to his body, revealing the tight muscles that just the night before Elena had run her hands over.

"How long have you been here?" Elena asked clutching the towel to her body. She felt her legs start to shake as she looked at him. Being this close to him made her feel weak. Klaus smiled and pushed himself away from the door and slowly moved towards her.

"Oh, I've been here a while. I took a walk, enjoyed the weather, had a bite, and then I caught a little listen to the lovely conversation your dear friends had with you. You know I never tire of hearing my name spoke in such high regards." He said sarcastically with a small smile. He looked off to the side of the counter and ran his fingers along Elena's necklace that lay there.

"And then I listened as you ran away and hid in Damon's room. I listened as you sat on the bathroom floor and cried while you tried to decide whether or not they were right." He said slowly as the smile faded from his lips. Klaus looked up and met her eyes.

"What did you decide love?" He asked as he continued walking towards her. Elena moved back slowly. She couldn't do this. She knew her friends loved her and she knew they had probably been right. Last night might have been amazing, but it had been a fantasy and she needed to wake up.

"Klaus…I" She started, but as she started to speak. Klaus touched his hand to her face. She felt the fire of his touch move over her skin and she closed her eyes.

"Why are you fighting yourself so, Elena?" He asked as he continued to move trails of fire across the delicate skin of her face and then down her neck.

"I'm scared." Elena said quietly as she took in the alluring sensation of his touch. Klaus moved closer to her face and suddenly Elena could feel his warm breath against her lips.

"You, Elena, have no reason to fear me." He said softly against her skin. Elena slowly opened her eyes and swallowed as she met his gaze.

"The way you make me feel…that is what scares me." She said slowly. Elena couldn't quite understand it, but while she could lie to her friends and family, she never seemed to be able to lie to Klaus. He smiled at her and moved his hand slowly down the flesh of her throat.

"How do I make you feel sweetheart?" Klaus asked tenderly. Elena looked away from the liquid pools of his blue eyes that seemed to stare not only into her eyes, but deep inside of her.

"Like I haven't been alive before now." She said softly. Klaus smiled and ran his hand over her throat and to her chest. He let his hand rest against the soft skin that protected her heart. He didn't know what it was, but feeling the strong beat of her life enthralled him.

"They are going to try to kill you." Elena admitted as she looked down at the floor. She watched as her legs began to shake. She heard Klaus laugh low in his chest.

"Oh my sweet Elena, they are not the first, nor will they be the last." He said sounding amused. Elena looked back up and met his gaze.

"I used to be so strong, but I feel so weak. I wanted to tell them they were wrong about you and tell them to stop, but I couldn't." She said as she felt tears come to her eyes. Elena had never felt so completely controlled by her emotions in her entire life and now she felt as if she were being pulled in a million directions. Klaus smiled and lifted her face in his hand as he ran his fingertips over her lips.

"Elena love, you do not need to protect me, nor do you owe your friends any explanation to how you feel. You have strength greater than anything they could possibly imagine, you just can't feel it right now." He said as he touched her gently.

"I just want…." She started, but she couldn't find the words. Klaus' amused expression faded as he looked into her eyes.

"What do you want Elena? I can give you things that no one else can." He said. Elena looked at him, his tenderness surprised her.

"I just want to be strong again." She said quietly. Klaus studied her face and then looked away towards the bathroom sink. He reached his hand across the cool marble tiling until he reached the shaving razor that Stefan had left there earlier that day. He picked it up in his hands and in a quick movement of his fingers; he shattered the razors top and freed a single metal blade. Elena felt herself fill with fear as she watched him, but she just stood in silence. She watched as Klaus raised the blade and slowly slid the blade against the perfect porcelain skin of his throat. The blade left a long deep crimson gash across his skin and Elena couldn't help but stare at its beauty. Klaus dropped the blade on the sink and then looked down at Elena.

"I can make you strong love." He said as he ran his hand over her soft cheek. Elena heard his words but could not take her eyes off the long crimson trail of liquid that ran from Klaus' throat. She licked her lips and tried to look away, but found herself unable to move. She heard Klaus laugh gently.

"It's alright to crave Elena; you don't have to deny yourself what you want anymore. I will give you everything." He said smoothly, but he did not move her. He let her hunger lead her, he would not force her to him, and he knew he didn't have to.

Elena moved very slowly toward Klaus' throat. The beautiful sweet line of blood ran down his neck and had just hit the hallow dip of his collar bone when she touched him. Elena licked her lips again and then leaned down and caught the blood with her tongue and licked the line up his throat to the very wound from which it came. She heard Klaus growl low in his throat.

"That's my girl." He said slowly. Elena moved closer still and then slowly closed her mouth around the deep cut in Klaus' throat. She felt the sweet taste of his blood flow into her mouth. Her vision blurred and her mind spun as she drank down the amazing taste of him. As she heard him groan against her she felt her need grow stronger. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and felt his hands run down her body. In an instant she felt the cool sensation of air hit her naked body as he towel fell to the floor.

Klaus' hands ran down her sides, over her hips and then hooked under her thighs as he raised her off the ground. Elena clung to his body and wrapped herself around him as she continued to drink him in. Her thirst began to burn feverishly within her as she ripped her hands down the front of Klaus' body. She heard the rip of fabric and finally felt the smooth feeling of his bare flesh against her hands. She groaned and then pulled herself closer to him and sucked harder on his throat.

"Elena…" Klaus whispered as he leaned his head back and tangled his fingers in her hair. In an instant she felt him grab her hair tight in his hands and pull her roughly back from his throat. He smiled at her breathlessly.

"My beautiful Elena, your thirst is so strong and so filled with desire." He said as his chest heaved. Elena reached up and ran her hand over the wound on his throat.

"That's because it's for you." She said with lust dripping from her voice. Klaus looked at her and quickly pushed her against the wall. He reached his hands down and wrapped his fingers tightly around her small delicate wrists. He raised her arms above her head and pushed her wrists tight against the wall. He looked into her eyes, but he didn't say a word. Lust rushed over him and it felt more powerful than any craving he had ever experienced in all his years. He took both Elena's hands in one of his and then reached his other down and freed himself from his pants. Elena moaned and bit down on her lip as she felt Klaus' body finally press against hers. She pulled herself closer to him and wrapped her arms around him. He pressed her back against the wall and then pushed slowly inside of her.

"Klaus…" She moaned as she closed her eyes. Need and desire filled her body as her sensations rushed around her. Klaus looked at her and smiled as he pushed deeper inside of her once again. He watched her expression with each movement of his hips. Elena's eyes rolled back and she leaned her head against the wall. She moaned and clawed at Klaus' skin as he continued to torture her slowly.

"More…" Elena whispered as she ground her hips against his. Klaus breathed out raggedly and pressed into her deeper.

"More what love?" He asked as he pressed himself against her and felt his grip on control sliding away. Elena licked her lips and arched her neck back as the rush ran over her body in a beautiful wave.

"Everything." She moaned. Klaus smiled and then raised his wrist to his lips. He bit down deeply into his skin and then pressed the wound to Elena's soft lips. He felt her begin to drink from him and he quickly felt his release wash over his body. He pushed deeply inside her one more time and then in a fast movement bent down and sank his teeth deep inside her neck.

Damon stood outside the bathroom door with one of his hands pressed against the hard wooden frame. He had tried to give Elena time to calm down, but he now realized he had waited too long to return to her. He didn't need to open the door to know what was going on inside. The gasps of ecstasy that he heard escaping Elena's lips along with the hard pound of her heart beat seemed to radiate all around him. He felt his heart break inside his chest, but he tried to push the pain away. He looked down at the floor and then turned and moved back to his bed. He sat down and pulled his cell phone from his pocket slowly and then dialed the number that he never thought he would dial, especially after he had met Elena. He raised the phone to his ear and waited.

"Hello Damon. I didn't expect to hear from you, things not going so well with Elena? Is the honeymoon over already?" Katherine's voice flooded into Damon's mind. Just hearing her voice reminded him of why he had both loved and hated her throughout most of his existence.

"I need a favor Katherine and since you know me so well, you know that it is very important, if I'm asking you." He said slowly and carefully into the phone. The line was quiet for a moment.

"OK, go ahead because I am a very busy girl Damon." She said with a flirting but sharp edge to her voice. Damon took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"I think it's time we find Daddy, Katherine." Damon said slowly in a dark sarcastic tone. Katherine didn't speak.

"Damon, you don't seriously mean…" She stopped speaking because she already knew the answer to her question. The pieces to the puzzle of the Original Family had only fallen into place a short time ago and ever since they had, Katherine had made sure she stayed far from all of them.

"Yes Katherine I seriously mean it. It's time to wake Mikael." He said and then hung up the phone and waited.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Weakness**

Elena ran through the dark forest as fast as her legs would allow her. She carried her heels in one hand and used the other to help guide her through the trees and down the long muddy winding path. She knew that she didn't have much time before they would come looking for her and she didn't want to waste the little time she might have, running aimlessly through the woods. Elena moved even faster as her body became consumed with need, she had to get to him.

That day had been just as the few days before it had. Elena had been under the careful eye of the Salvatore brothers and her closest friends. No one had dared let her out of their sight and she was barely allowed to go to the bathroom on her own. Rooms where searched before she entered them and she was constantly questioned on if she had seen or heard anything from Klaus. Her answer had always been no and she had finally resorted to silence after they refused to believe her.

After sitting in the Boarding House living room for most of the day, Elena had decided to retreat to the upstairs guest bedroom and try to get some sleep for the night. She allowed Damon to inspect her room and after he was done she had stood for almost an hour under the almost painfully hot water of her shower. Every moment that Klaus had been away had served as a painful reminder that she might never see him again. She prayed that if she stood under the scalding water long enough, it would burn the memory of his touch off her skin. However, no matter what she did, his memories consumed her.

When she had emerged from the bathroom, she slowly entered her bedroom. The room appeared to be just as she had left it. But as she approached her bed, she saw a small folded piece of thick paper lying on her pillow. She picked it up and instantly she knew who the letter was from, she could smell his beautifully intoxicating aroma on the soft paper.

_Come to the gymnasium, I will be waiting…._

The words had been so simple, yet they seemed to scream at her from the page. She quickly folded the paper, pulled on her clothes and climbed out her bedroom window. Elena had never been one to be afraid of heights before, but as she clung to the outside window of the guest bedroom, she felt her heart beat uncontrollably in her chest. She closed her eyes and tried to compose herself and then took in a deep breath and finished her descent down the side of the house and into the darkness.

As Elena reached the courtyard of Mystic Falls High School, she quickened her pace. Her need grew stronger with every step that led her closer to where she knew Klaus waited. It had only been three days since she had seen him last, but as she ran, it felt like she had been without him for an eternity.

Once at the back doors of the school, Elena pulled on the handle of the door and was surprised when it opened easily in her grasp. She walked slowly through the double doors and began to navigate her way down the dark hallway. She looked off in the distance and suddenly she saw the faint orange glow of light shining from a glass paned window. Elena felt her heart beat faster in her chest.

Elena stumbled in the darkness and finally found herself in front of the gymnasium doors. She took a deep breath and opened them slowly and walked inside. Elena's breath caught in her throat as she took in the room that surrounded her. The orange glow that she had seen in the hallway came from the multitude of white candles that covered the hard gymnasium floor. She walked slowly around them and looked, but saw no one in sight. The only sound she could hear was the soft click of her heels on the polished wooden floor.

"Hello?" Elena called softly. Nothing…

Suddenly Elena heard the sound of a door close behind her and she spun around quickly. She had feared that Damon or Stefan had found her quicker than she had anticipated, but as she looked across the beautiful glow of the room, she finally saw him.

"I was worried you wouldn't come." Klaus said with a smile as he slowly walked toward her from the heavy double doors. Elena fidgeted in her place and nervously ran her fingers through her hair.

"You knew I would come, Klaus." She said in a gentle voice as she watched him move. She had never seen someone so beautiful in all of her life. He moved across the floor in fluid precise movements. As he walked she could see the outline of his tight muscles as they moved under his skin. The black pants and white collared shirt that he wore fit his body as if they had been made just for him and clung to him like she wished she could.

"Elena, I have been alive for a very long time, and being what I am has given me many gifts. But, understanding a woman's elusive mind, well that is something that not even a thousand years could help me grasp." He said with a smile. Elena smiled and then looked down at the floor.

"They are going to realize I am gone soon, we don't have much time." She said quietly. In an instant, Klaus appeared in front of her. She looked up into the liquid pools of his eyes and let out a ragged breath. Klaus lifted his hand and ran it gently along the soft skin of Elena's cheek. She closed her eyes and felt her blood move faster in her veins. Her heart pounded roughly against her chest and seemed to beg her for relief.

"Those Salvatore boys…I don't think they will ever let you go, love." He said softly. Elena opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I am not there's to let go of." She said as she felt herself becoming weaker by the second. Klaus smiled and licked his lips.

"To whom do you belong then, Elena?" He asked, his voice was filled with raw emotion and need. She couldn't believe that the man standing before her was the same man that had seemed to torture her every thought just a few weeks ago.

"I…" Elena started to speak, but her words seemed to get caught somewhere deep inside her. She wanted to say so many things to him, but as she tried, the words seem to get lost.

"My sweet Elena. You fight yourself so greatly and yet you feel everything so strongly, it is as if you are willingly tearing yourself apart." He said as he ran his fingers down the length of her soft neck. Elena turned her head to the side as she closed her eyes and took in the overwhelming sensation of his touch. Klaus watched her and licked his lips.

"Come love." He said softly as he looked toward the center of the gym, where there was a small clearing amidst the candles. He started to walk towards it and then turned and looked to Elena.

"Please, Elena." He said as he held out his hand. Elena nodded and reached out and took his hand. She followed him across the room and for the first time in a long time, she felt safe.

As they reached the center of the gym, Klaus stopped walking and turned back toward Elena. He moved closer to her and once their bodies were close enough, he slid his hand over her hip and ran it gently across the small of her back. He let his hand rest there and then gently pulled her close to him. With his other hand he reached down and ran his thumb over the softness of Elena's lips. He leaned down so that his lips just brushed against hers.

"I have hungered for you so deeply that it has taken my every strength to stay away from you, Elena." He said softly, his voice dripped with lust as he stared into her beautiful chocolate brown eyes. Elena swallowed hard in her throat as she felt heat rush over her skin.

"Why didn't you come back? I waited every night for you. I thought you were gone." She said softly. Klaus smiled softly as he watched her face in the candlelight. He studied her every feature and admired her beauty as if he had never seen a woman before. He reached down and touched her lips again as he pulled her closer to him.

"You were under such careful watch and I didn't want to force you. I wanted you to want to come to me. But, I came and I stood outside your window nearly every night. I could hear you speaking softly in your sleep. I listened as you dreamed of me and felt your heart beat as you ran your hands over your body…wishing they were mine." He said roughly as he swallowed once again.

"My need to touch you nearly consumed me, Elena. I listened as you covered your mouth so they wouldn't hear you scream and I wanted to rip out their hearts for trying to silence anything that came from your lips." He said and then he leaned down and gently moved his lips over hers in a soft caress, and then he once again quickly moved back. Klaus slowly lifted his hand and ran his fingers through Elena's long silky hair. She breathed out slowly and then closed her eyes.

"Why does it hurt so much when you are away from me?" She asked in a soft desperate voice. Klaus smiled gently as he continued to run his fingers through her hair.

"It's my blood love, the more of it that you drink, the more you hunger for it and the more you hunger for me. If you drink too much it is like a drug and can take over take your will. But, Elena, these feelings will subside I promise you." He said with pain in his voice. Elena opened her eyes and saw guilt flood over his beautiful face. In that moment she felt her emotions completely consume her. She looked into the pain she saw in him and knew that it hadn't been the blood that had made her feel like she had the past couple of days, the need for him had started before that. Elena lifted her hand and gently touched Klaus' lips.

"It's not the blood…the feeling is too strong and much too real." She said as she leaned closer to him. She stopped just before she reached his lips as she continued to look into his eyes.

"I feel this need for you because…Because I'm in love with you." She said softly.

Klaus stared at her and for the first time, Elena saw complete surprise in his eyes. She watched as emotion flooded over him and she wondered if she had made a mistake in telling him the truth. He looked away from her stare and then down at the floor. Elena moved slightly closer to him and lifted his head to once again meet her eyes.

"Touch me." She said softly. Klaus swallowed and once again she saw him battle deep within himself. She let her fingers that rest at his jaw, slowly run down the smooth muscles of his neck and then to his tight chest. She opened her hand and placed it over where his heart had beat against her just barely a week ago.

"I can still feel your heart. It was too strong, no matter what you have been through; I know it still beats inside of you." She said softly. She saw Klaus' eyes soften and she knew that the battle within him had ended…at least for that night.

Elena gasped as she suddenly felt Klaus' lips consume hers. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and pulled her as close to him as he could without hurting her. She had never felt such abandon, need and emotion as she did in that moment with Klaus against her. He kissed her as if his every breath was dependent on her touch. With every crush of his lips against hers or touch of his hands on her skin, Elena felt the fire deep within her build and burn hotter than it had the moment before. As his lips fed at her mouth he ran his hands over the delicate skin of her face and neck. He let his fingers ghost gently down the skin of her neck and eventually he reached the clasp of her dress. He undid the small delicate buttons and then let it fall slowly to the floor. He pulled away from her lips and admired her body in the candlelight.

Elena stood before him in just her black lace bra and panties. She shivered as she felt his eyes roam over her body and ached deep inside for his touch to return to her. She looked up into his eyes and saw the raw need that she had seen just days before as he had made love to her against the cool tiles of her bathroom wall. Her body ached as she got lost in heat he had burned in her memory.

In an instant Klaus reached out and quickly pulled Elena to him once again. He kissed her lips passionately and then trailed hungry open mouth kisses down the soft skin of her jaw and throat. He continued down her chest and then sank to his knees and wrapped his arms around her small waist. He pulled her stomach to his mouth and kissed her hot skin deeply and ran his teeth over her, causing her to groan as she tangled her fingers in the beautiful waves of his hair. He licked hot fire over her lower stomach and bit gently at her hip and side as his hands moved softly over the skin of her thighs. As she felt his lips move over her skin, Elena felt the hunger inside of her grow stronger. She wanted to feel him, to touch him, and more than anything, she wanted to taste him.

"Klaus…" She moaned as she closed her eyes and felt her legs begin to shake.

Klaus felt Elena's body begin to give, so he moved slowly back up her body and then lifted her into his arms. He held her tightly and then lowered them both to the floor.

Elena felt the next hour move around her in what seemed like a beautiful blur. Klaus moved over her body painfully slow as he tasted every part of her within his grasp. He licked hot trails of fire from the delicate skin of her throat down to the soft skin of her calves. He ran his teeth roughly over her skin and dug his fingers into her soft flesh as he pulled moans from her mouth that sounded so primal they made his hunger grow painfully inside him.

"Please don't stop." She begged as she twisted and moved under his touch. Her want for him made her body burn and ache and the beautiful pain satisfied her in ways she had never experienced before. Klaus smiled as he listened to the tortured sounds that escaped from Elena's lips. With every move her body made he waited for the beautiful sound of her satisfied moans that followed. Her voice excited him in ways that a physical touch never could.

"I will give you everything if you will let me Elena." He said as he panted against Elena's skin. His voice was filled with need and desperation. He moved slowly down her body until his mouth was just over the beautiful soft skin of her core. His mouth watered as he remembered the taste of her. He ran his hand gently over her wet skin and closed his eyes as he heard her moans fill the room.

"I can give you eternity." He said softly. Elena writhed under his hands and felt her vision begin to shake. She closed her eyes and pressed herself closer to him.

"Yes." Was all she could whisper. Klaus smiled, closed his eyes and let his mouth consume her in hungry desperation.

Elena's screams filled the gymnasium. The sound of her lust ridden voice echoed within the thick walls. The louder she screamed the more Klaus gave her.

"Taste me." Elena begged in a ragged pant. Klaus moved his mouth away from her skin and looked up at her face. Elena ran her hand over the smooth skin of his hand that tightly gripped her hip as she looked into his eyes.

"I want to feel your teeth on my skin, please." She begged.

The beast within Klaus seemed to roar to life as Elena lay before him. Her need for his touch and her hunger for the animal inside of him drove him to the edges of his control in the ways that no human ever had. He tightened his grip on her hips and then once again ran his tongue hungrily over her hip bone and down her core. He licked a hot trail to the soft inner skin of her thigh and just as he felt her moving under him, close to her release, he quickly sank his deep within her soft supple flesh.

Elena opened her mouth and arched her body toward Klaus as he fed from her. She dug her fingernails deep into the skin of his shoulders, but no sounds escaped her mouth. The pain felt too pleasurable, the sensation was too strong, and the wave of heat that flowed over her was too much. In an instant she shuddered and shook in his hands as he licked the trail of blood from her skin.

Klaus moved up Elena's body like a predator over his prey. When he finally reached her face he tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her head back roughly. Elena arched her neck and moaned as she felt him lick from her collarbone up to her full lips. He kissed her hard and ran his tongue over hers in a swift but intense kiss that seemed to burn throughout her entire being. He moved quickly and sat up, pulling her onto his lap in a fluid movement. Elena gasped as she was pulled into his embrace and just an inch from his torturous lips. Klaus touched her face softly and looked into her eyes as they both caught their breath.

"I love you, Elena. But I can give you so much more than even that." He whispered softly. Elena looked down into his eyes and saw the truth of his words. It felt like a tidal wave of emotion hit her all at once. Tears welled up in her eyes and for the first time in her life she felt as if someone loved her with everything that they were and everything they would be. She leaned down and kissed his lips gently, but she couldn't speak. As the tears hit the soft skin of her cheek, she just nodded her head.

Klaus ran his fingers over Elena's face as he took in the silent promise they had made. He ran his hands down her body and finally lifted her hips and slid himself deep inside of her. Elena gasped and closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled herself as close to him as she could. She stared into his eyes as she moved slowly on top of him. She watched as desire overtook him and found herself become even more consumed with need as he gripped her tighter and reached his brink. He slid his hands down her smooth skin and as he finally reached her hips he slowed her movements.

Klaus kissed Elena softly and then slowly raised his wrist to his mouth. He bit deeply into his beautiful porcelain skin and then looked back to Elena. She watched as the alluring crimson elixir began to pour from his wound. She watched as it ran in a slow but intricate pattern from his wrist down the length of his forearm. His blood intertwined with his corded muscles and just the vision of it was completely consuming. Elena licked her lips and felt the hunger begin to rage inside of her.

"Go ahead love." He whispered as he slid his hand up her throat and around the back of her neck. He gently pulled her closer to him and as soon as Elena's lips met the warm wet stream of his blood she was lost.

Elena fed hungrily at the wound in Klaus' wrist. She wrapped her hands tightly around his arm and sucked hard against his skin. Klaus groaned deep within his throat and with his free arm wrapped it around her small frame. He pulled her tightly to him as he pushed himself deeper inside of her once again. His need became overwhelming as Elena moved against his body and he leaned down and kissed the delicate skin of her neck. Elena pulled back from his wrist and licked over the jagged edges of his wound. Klaus shuttered at the sensation and closed his eyes.

"Please." Elena begged as she arched her neck toward him, exposing the beautiful expanse of her throat. She reached out toward him and pulled him closer to her. Klaus swallowed roughly and felt his hunger consume him.

"Klaus, please." Elena pleaded once more, and that was all he needed.

In a quick fluid motion, Klaus' head dipped down in Elena's neck. She felt the sharp sting as his teeth sank deep in her flesh and she cried out as he pulled her tight to him. The sweet feeling of ecstasy filled Elena's whole body in an instant. She moved against the hard length of him as he drank hungrily at her throat. She felt Klaus' fingers dig deep in her hips as he pulled himself deeper inside of her. The need inside of Elena grew quickly and seemed to overcome her all at once. She felt the first wave of pleasure hit her as she tasted the sweet taste of Klaus' blood as he once again pressed his wrist to her mouth. She drank hungrily as he moved inside of her and she dug fingernails deep in his skin they both reached their overwhelming release.

Elena slowly pulled back from Klaus' wrist and watched as he licked gently over the deep wounds he had left in her skin. He pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"I don't want to be without you anymore." Elena said as she caught her breath and relaxed into Klaus' arms. Klaus looked at her and knew exactly what her words had meant.

"You will never have to be love, but you need to be sure. Forever is a very long time." He said softly. Elena saw a pain behind his eyes as he said the word 'forever'. But, her mind had been made up and she wasn't changing it now.

"Forever is what I want." She said in a sure voice as she touched her fingers over the sharp outline of Klaus' jaw.

Elena felt her body begin to shake as Klaus ran his fingers over her face. With his other hand he drew her body closer to his and held her tight to him. Elena leaned down and licked the wound on his wrist one more time and then kissed his lips gently.

"I know you are frightened love, but I promise I will keep you safe. It will be quick and it won't be painful. I will never hurt you, and I will never let anyone else hurt you either." He said as he felt her body tremble in his arms. Elena nodded and felt Klaus slide his hand up her neck and then move it slowly across her jaw. She closed her eyes and tightly held onto his arm as she braced herself for the pain of her impending death. She felt Klaus breath out and then…

"Well well well, what have we here?" Elena heard an unfamiliar voice say as it broke through the silence of the gymnasium. Her eyes shot open and she felt Klaus' hand drop from her face. She looked behind him to the doors of the gym where a man stood in the shadows. She couldn't make out his features, but the tone of his voice frightened her. She looked down at Klaus and noticed his eyes were closed and his jaw was clenched.

"Why so quiet, Nicklaus? I would figure you would have something to say to me after all this time. But I guess it does seem that you are a bit busy." The man said sarcastically. Elena looked between them in confusion and fear. Klaus opened his eyes and moved Elena off of his lap without looking at her. He fastened his pants and stood.

"Hello father. What took you so long? I presumed you would have been here days ago once Katherine came for you. I've been waiting ever so patiently, and I almost thought you had given up." Klaus said coldly as he paced the room. He moved slowly, but precisely, in just his black pants. His bare chest had traces of both his and Elena's blood running down it that shone in the candlelight as he walked.

"Killing you is something that I will never give up on, Nicklaus. But, I am interested however, in if you knew that I was coming, why you didn't run like the coward that you are? I imagine she has something to do with it though." The man said as he motioned towards Elena. Elena looked down and picked up Klaus' white shirt off the floor and pulled it around her naked body.

"She is none of your concern father. You are here for me, so let's end this now. You have waited so long for this, why drag it out?" He asked as his face twisted in anger and he continued to pace. Elena watched them in silence, fear filled her entire body, but she felt as if she was unable to move.

"None of my concern, boy? The doppelganger's blood is what you have needed to create your little army of servants all along. And judging by her striking resemblance to Katerina, I am going to assume that she is one in the same. But, something went wrong didn't it boy? You have let your impulsive and overwhelming need to not be alone break you yet again! Let me guess, Nicklaus. I walked in just before you broke her fragile little neck so she could join you for all eternity? How pathetic and weak you still are after all these years." The man seethed coldly.

"I am much stronger than you could ever imagine, father. You are the one who is weak. If you are so much stronger than us all, why has it taken you over a thousand years to find me?" He asked as anger filled his voice.

"Please don't flatter yourself; there are other things in this world besides you. No one cares about you anymore boy! This foolishness and your life, it ends tonight Nicklaus!" The man screamed as he started to move closer to them. Elena looked around her and stood shakily and she tried to figure out what to do. Klaus turned and looked at her. His face was soft, but the pain that ran through him, spoke more than words.

"Run Elena. Do not look back, just run, no matter what you hear, just keep going." Klaus said quietly as he gently touched her arm one more time.

"Well, it seems it is worse than I thought. What has happened to you Nicklaus? You have always been impulsive and stupid, but I never thought you would become this weak. Maybe I should teach you a lesson before I kill you. Maybe I should kill your doppelganger and let you watch." The man's voice was cold and sent a chill of fear through Elena that she had never felt before.

"She is not part of the deal, Mikael." Another voice came from the other side of the gym. Elena turned quickly and saw Damon standing in the corner and Stefan walk in just behind him. Klaus turned and nodded his head slowly. Rage filled his eyes at the sight of them, but he was silent. There was nothing left for him to say.

"Damon, Stefan why are you doing this?" Elena screamed across the room as tears once again streamed down her face.

"Elena, it's time to go, come with us. You knew this is how it had to be." Stefan said softly as he started to approach her.

"No! I am not leaving him to be killed! What is wrong with you two? I love him." Elena screamed loudly. Mikael's laughter filled the room.

"Oh how sweet. The doppelganger is in love with the bastard hybrid. What a heartbreaking twist on this sad story. Too bad it has to end so soon." Mikael started as he looked between Klaus and Elena with sick amusement. Then he quickly turned his gaze to the back door where the Salvatore brothers still stood.

"Damon, Stefan you have five seconds to get her out of here or she dies with him." Mikael said his voice suddenly serious and filled with rage.

The minute the words left Mikael's lips, Damon was across the room. He grabbed Elena by the arm.

"Damon I am not leaving, please, I won't let him die." Elena begged through her tears. Damon looked at her and she saw the pain of rejection and heartbreak written all over his face.

"Elena, I love you, so I hope that someday you will understand why I had to do this." He said softly and then in a quick movement he grabbed her in his arms and in a blur, they disappeared out the doors.

Elena screamed, cried and fought as hard as she could as Damon carried her through the school and out to the parking lot. He placed her in the backseat of his Mustang and moments later Stefan joined him in the front passenger seat. Damon met Stefan's eyes for a moment and nodded and then turned the key as his Mustang roared to life. They both kept their eyes forward as they tried not to listen to Elena's heartbreaking screams as they pulled out of the parking lot. Elena turned as the car sped down the highway and looked out the back window of Damon's car. The last thing she was able to see, was the school as it went up in flames.

**Please read and review, thanks in advance thank you all for your kind words and reviews. XOXOXO-Nikki**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Impossible**

It had been three weeks since that horrible night that Elena watched Klaus slip away from her as Damon dragged her from the cold gymnasium floor. In the time that had passed, Elena had barely spoken a word. Damon and Stefan had tried to convince her to come back to the Boarding House where they could take care of her, but Elena had refused and had moved back to the Gilbert house with Jeremy. Deep inside she knew that they had thought they were protecting her when they went after Klaus, but she found herself still unable to forgive them. Looking at Damon and Stefan now just served as a painful reminder of what and who she had lost that night.

Elena spent most of her time in her bedroom staring out of her second story window. She sat in the same place every day and watched the world move around her, while she felt as if she stood still. Day after day she sat and she waited. Deep inside, she hoped that maybe somehow, someway, Klaus had survived and that he would come back for her. Pain consumed her every breath as she waited and it felt as if the hole that had been ripped inside of her got larger with every second and while it didn't kill her, it just tortured her slowly.

Alaric stayed in the house with Elena and Jeremy, but he tried to stay out of their way. He stayed there as more of a favor to Damon and Stefan as to keep an eye on Elena, when really he had reached a point where he just wanted to get as far away from Mystic Falls as possible. This town held too many memories of the life he had before with Isobel and the nightmare he had been living since she had left him. So, he watched day after day as Elena died a little bit more inside. He watched as she starved herself, refused to drink and went through terrifying withdrawals as Klaus' blood slowly left her body. She would lie in her bed and shake for hours as she vomited onto the floor and cried until she lost consciousness. He felt his heart break as he watched her slowly fade away and he realized if no one else was going to do anything, then he had to.

"We have to do something or she is going to die." Alaric said as he stood in the Boarding House living room. Damon leaned against the side of the fire place staring at him as Stefan sat uneasily in an overstuffed leather chair by the bar. Bonnie and Caroline were on their way, but what he needed to say couldn't wait.

"For one, I think you are being dramatic. And two, what exactly do you suggest we do, Ric? Buy her a puppy and hope she forgets we killed her thousand year old boyfriend?" Damon asked as he pushed away from the fireplace and started pacing around the room. Alaric moved closer to them and narrowed his eyes.

"This isn't funny Damon. She isn't eating. She won't drink anything. The withdrawals are getting worse and worse every day. This shouldn't be happening. His blood should be out of her system by now, it's been almost a month! I am not going to sit back and let Elena be destroyed because you two don't want to deal with the fact that she is doing this because of your plan. I am taking her to the hospital and that's that." Alaric said as he ran his hands through his hair and gritted his teeth. Stefan pushed himself up, stood and walked closer to Alaric.

"This isn't about blame Ric and besides our plan saved her life! As time moves on she will forgive us and she will understand why we did this. She thinks she loved him and she is grieving. There is nothing the hospital is going to be able to do for her. What are we supposed to do, explain to the nurses that Elena is drying out from hybrid blood and we need them to give her a little something for the pain?" Stefan asked in a sarcastic tone. Alaric looked up at him and moved closer.

"This isn't about Elena forgiving you for what you did because frankly I could care less. The further she gets away from this sick and sadistic situation, the better. Right now my concern is that she isn't getting food or water in her and she will eventually become weak, get sick and could possibly die. I am taking her to the hospital and if you stand in my way I will not hesitate to kill you." Alaric said in a rough voice. He knew that he was being incredibly harsh, but right now his concern was Elena, he decided to let the vampires take care of themselves.

"Fine. Let's go get her and get this over with. We will take her to the hospital, get her doctored up and then everyone can start moving past this." Damon said as he ran his hands through his midnight black hair and started moving toward the door. Alaric nodded and then the three of them moved out the door and headed to Elena's.

"I don't need to go to the hospital, Ric." Elena said as she laid in bed staring in the other direction. Alaric let out a deep breath and leaned against the frame of her bedroom door.

"Come on Elena, humor me. If you are fine then it's no big deal. If you need some fluids or medicine or even just rest then they can help you. Please Elena." Alaric pleaded; his voice was filled with concern and desperation. Elena turned and looked at him and suddenly Damon walked into the room.

"Come on Elena, stop being dramatic. Get out of bed and let's get going. We are taking you to the hospital whether you like it or not. I will throw you over my shoulder and drag you if I have to." He said sharply as he started opening the drawers to her dresser and pulling out clothes. Elena sat up and stared at him coldly.

"Well we know how good you are at that Damon, but I'm not going. What do you care if I die, anyway?" Elena asked as she turned away and lay back down on her pillow. Damon turned around quickly and looked at her.

"What do I care if you die, Elena? That's what this whole fucking production is about? You think I don't care if you die? If I didn't care about you dying I wouldn't have done what I had. I know that you are too wrapped up in your broken teenage heart right now, but if we hadn't killed him, he would've killed you. I saved you!" Damon screamed as he threw the clothes in his hand on the floor. Elena shot up and moved quickly across the room toward him. He looked away from her quickly. He hadn't realized how thin or pale she had become until she was standing so close to him. Alaric had been right, she was letting herself die.

"Listen to me Damon and listen to me carefully. You did not save me from anything. You may think that you are some bad ass vampire hero or something, but you are far from it. You killed the man that I loved because you knew that if he was alive you could never have me. Your selfish pathetic bleeding heart somehow was more important than my happiness. It shouldn't surprise me though because your emotions are always more important than everyone else's!" Elena screamed into Damon's face as she stood just inches from him. Damon glared into her eyes and then started walking forward, moving both of them across the room.

"Let's get something straight Elena and let's do it now. First off, I did not kill just some man that you loved. I killed the thousand year old hybrid that has been torturing our lives for the past year. I killed the man that held Stefan hostage for a month and whose killed countless people that we all loved! I didn't do it because I wanted you Elena, because if we have learned anything, you only want those who don't want you back. He was using you Elena! He wanted your blood to create his army of slaves! You were nothing to him, you were a walking blood bag and he knew that if he romanced you then you would give him whatever he wanted and there would be no struggle. The fantasy is over Elena, WAKE THE FUCK UP!" Damon screamed as he backed Elena into the corner. Elena felt tears well up in her eyes and her legs began to shake. She tried to move away from Damon, but he didn't budge. She pushed her hands against his chest but as she did she felt her vision blur and felt the darkness move around her as she fell quickly to the floor.

Elena's eyes fluttered opened as she heard the loud beeping of a machine from above her head. She slowly turned her head and looked around her. The room she laid in was cold and her body was wrapped in rough white blankets that scratched at her skin. Long IV tubes hung from the machines above her head and flowed down into the needles that stuck painfully into her arms. Elena closed her eyes and let out a long deep breath as she came to the realization of where she was.

"She lives." Elena heard a voice say from beside her. She slowly turned her head and saw Damon sitting next to her. Elena closed her eyes and turned her head in the other direction. She felt Damon's hand move over hers. She wanted to pull away, but his touch comforted her even though she wanted to hate him so badly.

"I'm sorry Elena. I shouldn't have said those things to you. I just wanted you to understand that I did this because I thought that was the only way." He said softly. Elena opened her eyes but she did not look at him.

"I know you think he was a monster Damon and I know that is why you killed him. But if my memory serves me correctly, people felt the same way about you when you got to Mystic Falls." She said and then turned her head to him and smiled slightly.

"And here you still sit. What gives you more of a right to live than him?" She asked coldly. Damon's warm expression faded and he stood and turned and looked toward the door.

"I'm going to go out and check on everyone. Bonnie, Caroline and Jeremy should be here by now and I want to see if the doctors have any word on how you are doing or when you can leave." He said with sudden distance in his voice as he tried to swallow the pain that her words caused in him. He gave her one last look and walked slowly out the door, closing it quietly behind him.

Damon walked into the emergency room lobby and saw Stefan and Alaric standing with one of Elena's doctors. Alaric looked down at the ground and looked as if he had been hit by a truck. Stefan's face was twisted in horror as he listened to the doctors every word intently. Damon felt a knot tighten in his stomach, but he continued to move through the lobby to where they stood.

"So, we just need to make sure that she is under a careful eye and eats well and drinks lots of fluids. She needs lots of rest and she needs to get her strength back, so no more stress." The doctor said confidently as Damon approached them. Damon was confused. The doctor didn't seem concerned and yet the horrified expressions of his brother and Alaric remained etched on their faces even after the doctor's comforting words. The doctor smiled at them, turned and then walked down the hallway and disappeared into a back room. Damon turned to Stefan.

"Well sounds like she'll be back to her old self in no time. I can't say I am not relieved. Rageful Elena is not my favorite of her personalities." Damon said with a smirk as he ran his hands through his hair. Stefan looked up and met his brother's eyes.

"Damon, she's not going to be back to her old self. We have a very big problem on our hands." Stefan said, his voice was low and filled with a fear that Damon hadn't heard in a very long time. Damon shrugged.

"What's going on? The doctor didn't seem to be concerned." He said as he shifted his weight and smoothed his black T-shirt. An unsettling smile came across Stefan's face as he looked back to his brother.

"She's pregnant Damon." He said softly.

Damon felt as if his world was spinning out of control. The words that Stefan had spoken to him didn't make any sense. What his brother had said was impossible. He knew there had to be a mistake and that if he could just figure out what had happened maybe he could fix it.

"No…last time I checked Elena's has only been rolling around with vampires for the past year. Trust me, if there is one thing I know, it's that vampires can't procreate. If they could I would be in trouble, there would be a lot better looking children in the world, but I would be in trouble." He said smartly, but fear rolled over his voice and he had a hard time steadying himself. Alaric looked up and ran his hands over his face.

"He wasn't just a vampire Damon. He was an Original and he was a hybrid. He was the only one of his kind. There is no way we can be sure that the same limitations applied to him that do to your kind." Alaric said slowly. Damon cocked his eyebrow and gave Alaric a dirty look.

"If Klaus could procreate don't you think we would have heard about it by now? I'm sure there would be little half vampire, half werewolf monsters running all over this world and that is something that would definitely make it in the news, or at least the National Enquirer." Damon said with a sharp edge in his voice. Stefan looked at him.

"Yes I'm sure we would have heard about it Damon. Maybe he can't go around knocking up every human girl that he meets, but Elena…" Stefan stopped and looked back down at the ground. Damon laughed low in his throat. He ran his hands over his lips.

"Elena is the doppelganger. Maybe our hybrid monster was smarter than we thought. He said he needed her blood to complete the ritual and this way, he definitely got it." Damon said darkly. Stefan looked up and the harsh realization of the situation finally hit all of them.

"Do you think this was part of his plan? He knew about this all along?" Alaric asked still in disbelief. Stefan shook his head.

"I'm not sure. From everything I saw or heard from him or anyone else that knew about the curse, the only known way to break it and create more hybrids was for the doppelganger to die at Klaus' hands while he drained her of her blood. But, one thing I am sure of is that if he didn't know then we have to make damn sure that no one else finds out about this now." Stefan said sharply.

"Klaus is dead. No one else should have any interest in the hybrid curse anymore." Alaric said, but hesitation hung from his words. Damon smiled.

"One thing you need to always remember, Ric is that if there wasn't a body, then there wasn't a crime. I've suddenly got a bad feeling that we'd better start preparing for something really ugly." He said as he looked down. He remembered how the night after the school had burnt to the ground; he and Stefan had combed the ashes in the dark looking for any clues that Klaus was really dead. They had looked for hours, but there was no trace or him or anyone else to be found. All they found was ash and candle wax that had seemed to cover most everything they touched. Damon looked up from his thoughts and looked down the hall toward Elena's room. He turned his head slightly as he seemed to examine the outside of her door.

"I didn't leave the door open." He said quietly, but before his words left his mouth he was down the hall. Damon frantically looked around the inside of Elena's hospital room and felt the horror spread through his every vein. He looked inside to see that Elena's bed was empty. Alaric and Stefan appeared behind him quickly and they all stared blankly at the empty hospital room. Stefan shook his head and moved quickly as he grabbed a nurse that was passing by.

"Excuse me ma'am, can you tell me where Ms. Gilbert is?" He asked impatiently. The nurse smiled gently at him and he watched as her glassy stare looked over the room warmly.

"Oh don't worry honey, she is just fine. Her father came and checked her out just a couple of minutes ago." The nurse said. Stefan looked around confused as Damon and Alaric turned and looked at the nurse at the same time.

"Her father checked her out?" Damon asked in disbelief as he moved closer. He of all people remembered the day that Elena's father had died. It had been John that was the reason Elena was still even alive at all and even though he had hated the bastard, he was thankful to him for giving her even a little bit more time on this earth.

"Yes her father. Mikael, I think was his name." The nurse said with a smile as she turned and continued down the long hallway. Damon turned quickly and looked at Stefan and Alaric. Panic spread over his face and his words came out almost too fast for Alaric to understand.

"Get Bonnie, get her now! We've got a couple of very vengeful siblings to rise." He said darkly and in a flash Damon was gone. Stefan and Alaric motioned to the others and then they ran quickly out the hospital doors.

**Please read and review, thanks in advance. XOXOXOXO-Nikki**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Bloodline**

Bonnie sat in the passenger seat of Damon's Mustang and stared out the window as the trees passed quickly beside her. Elena had been missing for more than twenty four hours now and the small connection Bonnie had been able to gain through her necklace was fading fast. With every moment that passed she felt Elena becoming weaker and weaker. She closed her eyes and tried to forget the feeling she had gotten as she had touched the necklace. The pain that had surged through her body had scared her more than anything and she knew that wherever Elena was, they had to get there fast, or she would be gone forever.

Elena's eyes opened slowly to the sound of footsteps moving across a creaky old floor. The sound of boots hitting the splitting wooden boards was deafening in her ears. Elena turned her head and looked around as she tried to trace the loud sound to its source. She felt her heart drop into her stomach as the haunting man she remembered from the gym came into view.

"Good morning, Elena." The man's voice said smoothly. Elena swallowed as she felt fear wash over her body. She tried to move, in hopes that she could try to escape the horrible figure that stood before her, but when she twisted her body she felt a fiery pain wash over her skin. She looked down and found that she was bound by tight rough ropes that held her in her place in the middle of the room.

"What do you want with me, Mikael? I haven't done anything to you, please just let me go." Elena begged as she continued to twist in pain in her chair. Mikael smiled darkly as he continued to move across the floor. He tilted his head to the side and looked up at her from under his furrowed brow.

"Oh Elena, you certainly do have something that I want darling. Actually you have two things that I want. One being the power to draw little Nicklaus out of hiding and the other…well the other is that abomination that you are carrying inside of you." Mikael said coldly as he stopped walking and glared at Elena. Confusion washed over Elena's face as she stared into Mikael's cold eyes.

"I thought Klaus…I thought he was dead." Elena said softly as she closed her eyes and felt the pain of the night she had been torn from Klaus' arms consume her. Mikael laughed darkly as he moved closer to Elena.

"Oh, my sweet Elena. Nicklaus has been alive for long enough that unfortunately he has learned many of my tricks. As much as I hate to admit, he outsmarted me and fled like that coward that he is. At first I was afraid that I had lost my chance and that I would never rid the world of his evil. But then, well then, I found you and finally I found something that would draw him out of hiding and give me the chance to end this once and for all." He said as he reached out and touched Elena's cheek. Elena turned her head and shivered as his cold fingers caressed her skin.

"I have nothing that Klaus wants, Mikael. If he has been running from you for a thousand years, he is not going to risk his life just to save me." Elena said as she looked down. If Klaus hadn't come for her in the past three weeks while she had cried and waited for him, he definitely wasn't coming now.

"Oh sweetheart, you underestimate my boy's weakness. Nicklaus might have feared me for most of his existence, but he fears loneliness far worse. I saw how he looked at you, he loves you and it will be his love for you that finally ends his life. Besides, Elena, has no one told you the good news?" Mikael said as he tilted his head and moved closer to her face. Elena looked up and stared at Mikael in both fear and confusion.

"Elena, you are carrying Nicklaus' child in your womb. The greatest evil that this world could ever imagine is growing deep inside of you as we speak." He said in almost a whisper. Elena felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Her mind began to swim as she took in the words that Mikael had just spoken to her. Slowly, she began to move gently in the ropes that scorched her skin. Finally, her hand reached the soft feel of her stomach. Elena closed her eyes and suddenly she felt safer knowing that Klaus was still somewhere inside of her. Mikael's laugh boomed through the room once again, breaking through Elena's thoughts.

"I'm so sorry Elena, I don't mean to interrupt your tender moment, but I have some bad news for you. See I wouldn't get too attached to that little demon inside of you because soon enough, it, you, and Nicklaus will be dead and this world will be rid of any memory of this filthy hybrid bloodline." Mikael said as he spat onto the floor. Elena knew that soon her life would be over and that she would never come to know the child that was growing inside of her. But even so, as she pressed her hand gently against her stomach she felt a feeling wash over her that was much stronger than her fear…love.

Mikael watched Elena for a moment with a deranged look on his face that reminded Elena of the look she imagined was very common on that of a serial killer. He looked at her as if she was already dead and he was admiring his handy work. The look he gave not only scared Elena, but it made her sick to her stomach.

After a few moments, Mikael turned from Elena and walked across the room to a small makeshift kitchen table that looked as if at any moment it would fall to pieces. He leaned down slowly and picked up a long syringe and began to move back toward her.

"Well let's see if we can't conjure up the daddy to be, shall we?" Mikael asked in a cold sarcastic tone. Elena froze in fear as she watched him raise the syringe and grab her arm painfully tight.

"Are you sure this is where he would've left them?" Alaric asked as he and Stefan walked into the large warehouse that sat just on the edge of Mystic Falls. Stefan nodded without looking back.

"Yeah, Klaus doesn't go far without his family. He's been in Mystic Falls long enough; they have to be here somewhere." He said as he reached around in the darkness until he found the light. He flicked the switch quickly and suddenly florescent light filled the damp room. Stefan smiled and stepped back as he looked into the distance. Alaric moved forward and felt a sick feeling come over him. Just a few feet in front of them were a long row of coffins.

"Wouldn't it be easier if he just called his family when he missed them? Staking them whenever they pissed him off and then hauling them all over the world seems like a lot of work. I mean I can only imagine the storage costs." Alaric said sarcastically as they moved closer toward the coffins. Stefan laughed quietly.

"Well Ric, if one thing can be said about Klaus, it's that he loves his family very deeply. He hates being alone and will do anything to keep those that he cares about with him." Stefan said as he reached down to run his hands over the first oak box.

"If he loves them so much and hates being alone, why does he keep killing them?" Alaric asked as he caught up to where Stefan stood.

"Klaus is a very complex man, Ric. He loves completely, he lives recklessly and he searches this world for someone who will stand by his side willingly. One thing is certain though, he does not tolerate those that disappoint him, not matter how much he might love them." Stefan said as he opened the first coffin. He looked down and before him laid the beautiful blonde that at one time in his life; he had loved with all of his heart. He ran his hand down her cold darkened skin until he reached the small sword that was lodged deep in her chest. He took in a deep breath, wrapped his fingers around the hilt and then pulled the sword from her chest.

"Ah Rebekah, it's been a very long time." He said quietly and then he looked over her once more and moved down to the next cedar box, where he then found Elijah.

"Stefan you sure this is a good idea? After all, they are going to be pissed when they wake up and I'm pretty sure that vampires don't mind killing the messengers." Alaric said as he felt his body tense. Stefan laughed as he pulled the sword from Elijah's chest, just as he had with Rebekah.

"Don't worry Ric, they might be pissed, but they love Klaus. He has protected them for many many years. Their family has been alive for a thousand years and he has done nothing but protect them for all of them. The fear and obedience he has instilled in others has served to protect his entire family. Yes, they will definitely be angry with him for what he has done to them, but they hate someone else far more. Klaus they will forgive, but their hatred for the one that created them, well that runs far deeper." He said slowly as he walked back to where Alaric stood.

"Mikael, I assume?" Alaric asked slowly. Stefan nodded.

"Yes Mikael. There's nothing like a good old fashioned murder to bring a family together." He said sarcastically and then he and Alaric walked out of the warehouse to Stefan's car and waited for the family to wake.

Elena's body shook in fear as Mikael gripped her arm tightly with one hand and in the other held the long syringe. Elena was not sure of the contents of the syringe, but she was sure that whatever it was, it was definitely dangerous. Mikael crouched down in front of her face and turned her hand over so her delicate wrist was exposed before him.

"Elena, I am sorry you got mixed up in all of this. But I need you to do something for me when you feel the pain you are about to feel." He said softly. Elena looked at him wide eyed and terrified, but she nodded.

"Scream for him!" Mikael yelled loudly and then at inhuman speed he jammed the syringe into her wrist.

Fire burned through Elena's veins as the contents of the syringe emptied into her blood stream. She felt the heat burn deep inside her and scorch her organs as it traveled through her system. As the fire spread further, Elena felt an explosion of pain deep inside her stomach. With every passing second the pain became more intense. After a few moments it felt as if Elena was being ripped in two and something was clawing inside of her trying to break free. Elena screamed at the top of her lungs and her ear piercing cries filled the entire house. She did not call for anyone to save her, she simply screamed in pain as the flames inside of her took over.

Mikael watched as Elena strained against the tight robes that held her in the chair. She screamed out in pain, but she would not call for Klaus. Mikael moved quickly toward her and grabbed another syringe. He looked into her terror filled eyes and once again dug his fingers deep into her arm.

"Listen to me now doppelganger! You will call for him or I will rip that child from your body and watch you bleed to death on this floor. Now, say it! Say his name!" He screamed loudly in her face. Elena felt the tears roll down her face. She wanted to reason with the man that stood before her. She wanted to beg him to let her go and to spare Klaus' life. She wanted to do anything to make the pain inside of her stop, but she knew that no words she could say would change the mind of a man that had been dreaming of the day when he would kill his son for over a thousand years. She finally looked down and tried to formulate anything to say to him, but before she could speak a loud noise broke into her thoughts and jolted her to reality.

Mikael stood up quickly as the loud noise filled the room. The sound that radiated through the walls of the farmhouse was so loud that Elena couldn't hear herself scream over it. It sounded as if the entire foundation of the house had split apart. Suddenly, the house fell silent and Elena heard what she assumed to be the front door of the house being ripped from its hinges and discarded onto the ground outside. Mikael smiled and laughed quietly to himself as he started to move away from Elena.

"Ah, never mind dear. It seems the prodigal son has returned." He said as he walked over and dropped the syringe back onto the kitchen table. Elena's chest heaved as she tried to calm herself and forget about the pain that continued to radiate through her body. She gritted her teeth and swallowed hard as the sweat poured down her face. She turned as she heard footsteps coming from the hall just on the other side of where she was restrained. In an instant she felt the pain disappear and her heart come to life as she saw him enter the room.

"It would be best if you started to run father, I would so enjoy a chase before I rip you limb from limb and then burn you to ash." Klaus' voice said as he turned the corner from the hallway and entered the room. Elena stared at him as she felt her heart ache. He stood before her in black jeans and a midnight blue V-neck T-shirt. He wore heavy black boots and his hair was in messy blonde waves on top of his head. He held his arms tight to his body and his hands were clenched in painful fists at his side. He looked over to Elena and pain immediately filled his eyes. Elena felt tears begin to run down her face once again.

"Klaus…" She said softly. He looked at her face and felt his heart sink in his chest. His eyes moved over her small body as he took in the heartbreaking sight before him. Elena's body slumped against the wooden chair she was restrained to, her eyes were filled with fear, and her olive skin was covered in dark purple bruises and crimson blood. Klaus looked down and saw the robes that held her painfully tight and the marks they had burned into her skin. He turned slowly and looked back to Mikael.

"Why are you doing this father? Why not just come straight for me like you always have? Why involve her in your sick little game? She is just a human and she has nothing to do with us." Klaus said coldly. He hoped that if he could just convince his father she held no importance to him, then maybe he would release her and the two of them could finally end their lifelong battle. Mikael laughed and started moving across the room, pacing once again.

"Oh Nicklaus. It is a shame that you are not the predator you once were. Have you gotten so caught up in your own thoughts and your own wants that you have stopped paying attention to all those wonderful gifts that I gave to you?" Mikael asked as he stopped just a foot in front of Klaus. Klaus glared at his father in pure hatred.

"Nothing you have ever given me was a gift, father. I am tired of your games. Tell me what it is that you want and I will give you your chance to end my life. She, however, has no part in this, let her go." Klaus said. Mikael laughed once again and then stepped even closer to him.

"Have you become so weak and preoccupied with yourself that you cannot hear it, Nicklaus? Listen boy, listen hard. Move closer to your love and tell me what you hear." Mikael said in a dark whisper. Klaus looked at his father and then slowly moved closer to Elena. He had never taken orders from his father before, but he knew the closer he was to her, the better he could protect her. The silence of the room was louder than any words as Klaus listened for whatever it was his father had been directing him toward

At first Klaus heard nothing, but just as he was about to turn back toward his father, he felt it. A small, steady heart beat radiated throughout Klaus' entire body and invaded his mind with more strength than anything he had ever experienced before. The heartbeat was too fast to belong to Elena, but yet it pounded from her body as it seemed to call to him. Elena saw a mixture of emotions on Klaus' face that she didn't understand. Finally, she closed her eyes and dropped her head down as she felt tears drop onto her chest. Mikael moved closer to Klaus once again.

"She is pregnant Nicklaus. Inside of her beats the very heart of what you have searched over a thousand years for. She carries a true hybrid, the key to your master race." Mikael said slowly still in a dark whisper against Klaus' ears. Klaus swallowed hard and felt his emotions spin out of control. He looked at Elena and watched as the tears rolled down her face. None of what his father had said made any sense. He had been alive for over a thousand years and had always known that their kind could never create anything unless it was created out of blood. One of the very ways that nature had punished them for the plague they had created was that they themselves could never create true life…family. The word rang through Klaus' ears and he swallowed against the pain that he felt. He looked at Elena and suddenly the only sound he could hear was her and their child's beautiful beating hearts.

"What boy, aren't you going to celebrate? You finally have the missing piece to your puzzle! Who would have known that it wasn't the death of the doppelganger that you needed to complete your plan. You simply needed her blood and yours together to create your true hybrid warriors. Come on Nicklaus, smile, you should be so happy. I don't mean to spoil the surprise, but it feels like a boy to me…you feel it too don't you?" Mikael started as he moved across the room with the sick smile plastered across his face once again. Once he reached the table, he picked up another long syringe.

"Now, having said all that I have said, I do have some bad news. Obviously, you, Nicklaus, you have to die. Unfortunately, I am going to have to kill your sweet Elena and the bastard that she carries inside of her as well. See, I refuse to let you and your hybrid abominations do anymore harm to this world than they already have. This curse ends here and it ends tonight." Mikael said as he started to once again move closer to Elena. Klaus moved quickly and in a blur he was soon standing in front of his father. Mikael smiled and glared into his sons eyes.

"You really think you can protect them from me, Nicklaus? I created you. I gave you the strength that you have used for the past thousand years to control those that were weaker than you. I gave you all that you have, and now I am taking it away." He seethed never breaking his stare with Klaus. Klaus stepped closer to Mikael once again and Elena saw as the black veins began to surface under his beautiful blue eyes.

"You, Mikael, you have given me nothing. The man that my mother laid with because you could not satisfy her, that is the man that gave me my strength. You only gave me a curse that has plagued my entire existence." Klaus yelled through gritted teeth. Mikael smiled and shook his head.

"Oh, the big bad wolf, please excuse me if I am not scared of you and your heathenish breed of uncontrollable dogs." Mikael seethed once again and then in a second he moved around Klaus and began moving back towards Elena. He turned his head and looked back at Klaus with another dark smile as he moved.

"Now Elena, where were we love? Oh yes, I remember now. The Vervain….well the Vervain I gave her, I think that stung a little for the two of them. I mean, you must have heard or you wouldn't be here Nicklaus. Shall we try the Wolfsbane and see if that does anything?" Mikael said sarcastically as he smiled at Klaus. Klaus began to move toward him, but in a flash Mikael was next to Elena and just as Klaus ripped his hands away from her, Elena felt the syringe jam into her skin and empty into her bloodstream.

Damon's Mustang sped down the long highway as he watched Mystic Falls fade in his rearview mirror. He held his cellphone in his hand as he waited anxiously for Stefan to answer.

"We found them. They are in an abandoned house just off of Route 40. It's the only house within miles of the highway, so you shouldn't miss it. We should be there in about twenty minutes. Do you have Rebekah and Elijah?" Damon asked into the phone.

"Yes, we should be there soon. Rebekah sensed they were close so we just started driving." Stefan said into the other end of the line. Damon let out a deep breath.

"Bonnie says she is still alive, but she is fading fast Stefan. If we don't get there soon…" Damon stopped.

"We'll get there, just drive." Stefan said and then the line went dead. Damon dropped his phone on the seat next to Bonnie and slammed his foot down on the accelerator as his Mustang roared down the highway.

In a flash Klaus pulled the syringe from Elena's arm as he knocked his father back against the wall. Mikael hit the wall hard enough that he broke through the boards and landed with a crash on the floor. Klaus threw the syringe quickly across the room as he felt it burn his skin. Elena's body burned in pain and she felt as if she was watching a movie in fast forward as she watched Klaus rip the ropes from her body. He gritted his teeth through the pain that attacked his skin with each touch of the rough twine that held Elena in her place. Klaus knew that his father had always been a man ruled by his pride and his temper and that had led to countless hasty killings in his time. However, when it had come to his attempts at killing Klaus he had always been thorough. As Klaus ripped through the last of the ropes he realized that they had all been laced with Vervain and Wolfsbane. With every move Elena made the ropes burned deeper and deeper into her flesh. Klaus moved his hand to her face as he began to pull her from the chair.

"Don't struggle, love. It is only going to make it worse." He said softly. Elena looked at him and then terror filled her eyes as she shifted her glance over his shoulder.

"Klaus!" She screamed and just as the words escaped her, Klaus turned and caught Mikael's arm before the stake in his hand sank into his chest. He looked into his father's eyes as he held his arm tightly in his grasp.

"You have underestimated me for far too long father. And I will never let you touch her again." Klaus screamed as the black veins under his eyes once again appeared. Elena heard the deafening sound of bones crushing as Klaus molded his hands over his father's. Mikael just laughed as he stood in his son's grasp.

"You are nothing, boy! You are a sad excuse for an immortal and an even worse excuse for a man. You are weak and scared and that has kept you from truly being great. You above all things are a bastard and so is that child that lies in her womb. I will not let anymore abominations into this world!" Mikael screamed and then in a flash he twisted Klaus' arm and knocked him back. Elena heard the faint sound of the stake dropping to the ground and then watched as it rolled along the floor and then disappeared from her sight.

Elena moved from the chair she had been restrained too and looked around to find a path that led out of the house. She had barely taken a step when she felt Mikael's ice cold grip on her throat as he pulled her back against his body. He held her tight to him and in a second Klaus froze in front of her. Mikael wrapped one arm around Elena's body to keep her in place and raised the other next to her throat. In his hand he held yet another syringe.

"If I were you, Nicklaus, I would not move. If I empty this directly into her bloodstream it will kill her and it will kill her slowly and painfully. You need to remember my son, she is still human. She is weak and she will fade quickly. No matter what demon seed you might have put inside of her, there is no strength, except immortality that could save her from this now. You left her weak and for that you will greatly pay." Mikael said coldly as he lowered the syringe closer to Elena.

"Well hello father." A soft voice said from the other side of the room. Elena shifted her eyes and saw a beautiful woman with long blond hair standing behind Klaus. Next to her stood a man of equal beauty, with short dark brown hair, sharp features, and intense brown eyes. They both were painfully radiant and had a striking resemblance to Klaus. Mikael stared at them both in stunned silence, but then he spoke.

"Rebekah, Elijah. I thought you were…." He stopped suddenly as the two moved closer.

"You thought we were locked up in coffins? Well now, we couldn't miss the family reunion, could we? Let her go father, this isn't her battle." Elijah said as he stepped forward. The graceful movements of his body and certainty in his eyes both calmed and amazed Elena as she watched him.

"This must end. He is a disgrace to our family and always has been! I will not let this curse continue and I will not allow him to create more evil than he already has. Someday you children will understand why this had to be done." Mikael said as he moved the syringe closer to Elena's throat. Elena froze and closed her eyes as fear spread through her.

"It was not Nicklaus' choice to be what he is. Mother did this to him. She was the one that had laid with another man, she was the one that put the curse on him, and she was the one that broke your heart. Not Nicklaus." Rebekah said as she started to move forward once again.

"You mother tried to make it right. She repented to me and she did all she could to keep our family protected. But there was nothing she could do to stop the evil that had been created in him! I have the power to stop it now and I will, I will protect this family. This ends!" He screamed as tears rolled down his face.

Elena watched as fear spread across Klaus' face. She watched him move in a blur, but she felt the sharp sting of pain hit her throat before she felt Klaus warm touch on her body. Pain rushed over her quickly and her mind began to spin as Klaus lowered her to the floor. She heard screams and everyone seemed to move in a blur of motion around her. She felt Klaus' lips on her mouth and she tasted the salty taste of his tears before he quickly moved from her and she felt the cold rush around her.

Time passed slowly, but in an intense cloud of movement around Elena. In an instant she felt someone pulling her off the floor and into their lap. She felt a warm familiar touch on her face and as she finally turned her head she found herself looking into Bonnie's eyes. She watched as the tears rolled down Bonnie's face and then listened as Bonnie spoke quickly over her. The words moved over her and made her feel as if she were being spun in circles. She didn't understand what Bonnie was saying, but she felt some of the pain subside as she spoke. After a few moments in Bonnie's arms, Elena turned her head toward the sound of screams that filled her ears.

As she turned, Elena saw the blur of Klaus' body as he grabbed his father by the throat and lifted him into the air. She watched as his hand crushed down and blood began to spill from Mikael's neck. She heard Mikael's screams flood her ears as Klaus threw him across the room. She saw him reach down and pick up the stake that Mikael had been holding only moments ago and watched as Klaus stood over him and slammed the wooden stake deep inside his chest. Klaus' voice filled the room as he spoke so quickly Elena couldn't understand what he was saying. She watched as he pulled the stake out of his father's chest and then drove it back in, again and again, as he watched Mikael writhe in pain on the floor beneath him. Finally, she saw flashes of Rebekah's beautiful blonde hair as she and Elijah ran to Klaus' side and then pulled him from their father. In one quick and graceful movement Elena watched as Rebekah drove the stake deep into Mikael's chest one last time. Mikael's screams vibrated through the old farmhouse as his body burst into flames.

A moment later, Elena felt herself being lifted from the floor. She curled her body into the strong arms that held her and felt warmth move through her body. She closed her eyes and rubbed her face against the soft warm skin of the man that carried her. She breathed in and she knew immediately who held her and suddenly she felt safe and unafraid.

"I'm so sorry Klaus." Elena mumbled through her tears and she hugged tighter to his body as he carried her from the house.

"Elena love, please open your eyes. Look at me Elena; you need to look at me!" She heard Klaus' voice beg frantically as she felt herself being laid down on the softness of the earth. She looked up and saw Klaus' beautiful face staring back at her. His eyes were filled with terror and his body was covered in blood, but something about him still made her feel so comforted.

"I love you; I've loved you ever since you came to me in my dreams. You made me feel so safe. No one has ever…" Elena began to trail off as she felt Klaus' shaking arms scoop her up once again. She heard desperate screams come from his lips as he pulled her tighter to him. Behind her, she listened as Bonnie still chanted through her through her tears. She looked up at Klaus one last time and watched as he bit deeply into his wrist. He quickly pressed the wound to her lips and Elena let the beautiful taste of his blood wash over her. The soothing feel of his warm elixir moved through her body and all the pain seemed to fade away as she rested in his arms. Finally, she pulled away from him slightly and laid a gentle kiss over his wrist. She laid her head down on his chest and as she drifted into the darkness, she felt as if she could almost feel his heartbeat.


End file.
